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a Ceremonial Resolution
21-53
In the Council of the District of Columbia
May 5, 2015
To recognize the success of the University of the District of Columbia women’s basketball team and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the historic 1975 competition between the Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia) Pantherettes and the Chinese Women's National Team.
WHEREAS, the Federal City College Pantherettes were selected and ranked 16th in the 1975 Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Women’s Basketball Championships and, for the 1975-1976 season, were preseason ranked No. 1 by Popular Sports Magazine;
WHEREAS, in the first round of the 1975 regular season championship games, the Federal City College Pantherettes played the country’s No. 1-ranked team, Delta State University;
WHEREAS, although Delta State was favored to win, the Pantherettes successfully carried the game into overtime, but unfortunately lost by just 2 points after a travelling call;
WHEREAS, the Pantherettes finished 5th overall in the 1975 championship, one of the most successful finishes of a historically black college or university;
WHEREAS, adding to its 1975 success, the Federal City College women’s basketball team was selected that year to be one of 5 women’s college basketball teams to engage in USA-People’s Republic of China Sports Diplomacy, dubbed “Friendship First, Competition Second;”
WHEREAS, participants in this tournament included California State University in Los Angeles, Delta State University in Tennessee, the USA National Team in Rochester, NY, Queens College at Madison Square Garden, and the Federal City College;
WHEREAS, this tournament marked the first ever visit by an all-female team from China to the United States;
WHEREAS, according to, Charles Woodruff Yost, then Chairman of the Board for the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Inc., sports played a vital role in the normalization of relations between the United States and China, beginning in 1971 with the cordial hospitality extended by the Chinese to the US Table Tennis Team; and
WHEREAS, on February 12, 2014, at the Embassy of China, Deputy Head & Counsellor Zha Liyou announced, in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the historic sports diplomacy event, that the embassy would like to bring all 5 teams to China in 2015.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the District of Columbia applauds the success of the Federal City College Panthorettes and appreciates their representation of the United States and the District of Columbia with the highest degree of class, dignity, and respect throughout all related diplomatic events.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Federal City College Pantherettes Recognition Resolution of 2015”.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
