Jean Bauer Glantz

Jean Bauer Glantz, three-time Rhode Island State Golf Champion and two-time medalist in the USGA Women's Amateur Championship, is recognized as one of the finest golfers of her era. She is also probably the best all-around athlete that Pembroke has produced, taking a leading role in undergraduate basketball, baseball, field hockey, archery, swimming, fistball, and bowling, and becoming the first sophomore to win the Pembroke Blazer. Bauer was also president of her class through its four undergraduate years and is now honorary alumnae president.

She was medalist in the Women’s Nationals in 1935 and 1941 and won the Rhode Island State title in 1940-41-42. Earlier in her career, she captured the Augusta National in 1934, the Miami-Biltmore Doherty Cup and the Mason-Dixon Championship, both in 1935, the New England title in 1937, and the Southwest Championship in 1939. Jean won the Mason-Dixon title by beating Fritzie Stifel, defending champion, in the finals. Miss Bauer was two down at the end of 18 but won 1-up with a blazing finish.

Throughout her career, she competed against other legendary golfers: Maureen Orcutt, Helen Hicks, Virginia Van Wie, the national women’s champion, Alaine de Gunzbourg, the French star, and Kathleen Garnham, the English ace. When the Providence resident won the medal round in the 39th Annual Women’s Golf Championship at Minneapolis in 1939 with a 79, she was three strokes under the tournament record set by Enid Wilson of England in 1933.

On Oct. 30, 1935, she set a women’s record at Wannamoisett Country Club with a 75, bettering the mark set in the late 1920s by Glenna Collette Vare. Moving to Albuquerque after her marriage, she won the city title nine times and won the Senior New Mexico Women’s Championship three times.