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Laura Mae Switzer

Laura Switzer went from small-town McLean to an All-America basketball career for the Flying Queens of Wayland Baptist in the early 1960s. As a veterans selection for those whose accomplishments were more than 50 years ago, the 6-foot-1 Switzer used her trademark hook shot and seldom-missed free-throw shooting to become a three-time All-American at Wayland, the fifth Flying Queen to earn that honor three times.

She helped lead the Queens to a 90-12 record, one national AAU championship and two national runners-up. In 1961, not only did Wayland win the AAU title, but won the National Girls Basketball League where Switzer was named to the all-star team. In three years at Wayland, Switzer scored 798 points and won three consecutive national free-throw shooting titles. She was the first Queen to earn MVP honors at the AAU national tournament.

In 1961, she was among the top women’s players in the country to form an all-star team that toured Russia. Switzer was on the 1963 Pan American team that won the gold medal over Brazil, 59-43.

In 1965, Switzer became the women’s basketball coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State, the beginning of 36 years with the university. She was head coach until 1980. Dr. Switzer would continue as a professor of physical education and women’s athletics coordinator until her retirement in 2001.

Switzer was inducted in both the Wayland Baptist Athletics Hall of Honor and the Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame. She died on April 19, 2017, two days shy of her 76th birthday.