IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
ERNELLA VAN HORN (1932- )
PAPERS, 1993-2001
0.25 linear inches
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ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no. 812) were donated by Ernella Van Horn in
2001. |
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ACCESS: |
The papers are open for research. |
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COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to The University of Iowa. |
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PROCESSED BY: |
Nicole Kotrba, 2002. [VanHornErnella.doc] |
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Biography
Ernella Van Horn was born on April 22, 1932 to Ernst Leo Balster and Stella Werden Balster. She was the second of four generations of women in her family to play basketball in Iowa. Her mother, Stella Werden Balster, was born on October 29, 1893 near Jonesville, Iowa. Stella Balster played one of the first versions of six-on-six basketball, in which the court was divided into three sections. Her youngest daughter, Ernella Balster, grew up playing the two-court version of six-on-six basketball for Monmouth Senior High School (currently known as Midland of Wyoming) from 1945-1949. Upon her high school graduation, Ernella Balster attended the American Institute of Commerce in Davenport, Iowa. There, she continued her basketball career, and met her future husband, Ray Leland Van Horn; they were married on November 19, 1950. They had three children, Kathryn, Cheryl, and Russell Van Horn.
Scope and Content Note
The
Ernella Van Horn papers date
from 1993 to 2001 and measure
0.25 linear inches. The papers
also consist of Ernella Van Horn’s personal account of four generations of
women in her family playing basketball, along with their other athletic,
academic, professional, and personal endeavors. The papers also include a newspaper article acknowledging and
celebrating the historical significance of their participation in
basketball. This article also explains
various rules of the six-on-six game (as described by Van Horn). Finally, the papers consist of a newspaper
article and a baseball card that feature Betty Francis, a schoolmate of Van
Horn’s who went on to play professional baseball in the All American Girls
Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).
SCVF Description
Folder 1 Van Horn, Ernella