Born in Lithuania on March 19, 1868, Berenson immigrated to America with her family when she was seven years old. The family settled in Boston and changed their name from Valvrojenski to Berenson.
Berenson was not into sports as a child, being more interested in art, literature and the piano. Ironically, playing the piano caused back problems for Berenson. She was forced to give up the piano and was persuaded to enter the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics.
Women’s Basketball
She developed an enjoyment for athletics. In 1892, a physical education job opened up at Smith College, Berenson was recommended for the position. Basketball had been invented a scant month prior to Berenson's appointment. It was invented by James Naismith in nearby Springfield.
Berenson visited Naismith to learn more about the game. In March 1893, Smith College hosted its first women's collegiate basketball game with Smith sophomores competing against freshman, organized by Berenson.
It wasn't until 1899 that Berenson set about modifying the rules of basketball for women. The court was divided into three areas. Attempting to steal the ball was forbidden which limited dribbling to three bounces per player. A player was allowed to hold the ball for only three seconds.
These changes adapted by Berenson for safety purposes. They were intended to protect women from overexertion and the roughness of the game. The rules she instigated for women's basketball were approved by the American Association for the Advancement of Physical Education and were in play until the 1960's.
Berenson was committed to making exercise and games social and enjoyable. A staunch opponent to corporate profit, she believed women’s athletics could be catalysts for social change.
Basketball Hall of Fame
Two years after Berenson's rule were first published in 1899, she became editor of A. G. Spalding's first Women's Basketball Guide. She served as chairperson of the United States Women's Basketball Committee from 1905 to 1917. Volleyball was also adapted for women by Berenson.
Known as the "Mother of Women's Basketball,” she was the first director of Physical Education at Smith and remained there for 19 years. She also met her husband there, English professor Herbert Vaughan Abbot. They were married in 1911 after which Berenson left her post at Smith.
Berenson was the great-great aunt of actress and model Marisa Berenson (Natalia Landauer in “Cabaret” 1972 and Lady Lyndon in “Barry Lyndon” 1975) and photographer and wife of Anthony Perkins, Berry Berenson. Berry Berenson was killed in the September 11, 2001 attack on American Airlines Flight 11. She had just had a holiday in Cape Cod and was returning to her home in California.
Berenson died on February 16, 1954. On July 1, 1985, she was inducted as the first female into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ralph Melnick wrote “Senda Berenson: The Unlikely Founder of Women’s Basketball.” It was published in 2007 by University of Massachusetts Press.
Penny White - Penny White has been writing since the age of ten. She is an avid supporter of women's history. She also loves music, movies, NCIS, ...
