Fanny Crenshaw was born in Richmond, Virginia and is a graduate of Bryn Mawr and Columbia University, where she received her BS and MS degrees. She organized the first Department of Physical Education in her first year (1941) at Westhampton College, where she was a teacher and coach for 41 years. She coached hockey, basketball, tennis, archery and track.
Fanny served as vice president her first year with the United States Field Hockey Association, and was the co-founder of Virginia FHS, and later the Tidewater Field Hockey Association. She served as chairman of many college and high school clinics. She organized and was responsible for the appearance of many foreign teams to Virginia.
Crenshaw was an official and judge in many national basketball clinics and tournaments. She also held a “National A” rating in Archery, was national and world champion in track at Bryn Mawr, and at the age of 73 was the first person to complete the 50-mile swim for fitness in “her pool” – Crenshaw Pool at Westhampton. Today, there is a Fannie Crenshaw Scholarship established in her honor by a gift of $20,000 from Miss Constance M.K. Applebee, founder of field hockey in the United States.
Fanny Crenshaw passed on December 29, 1984 but she will always be remembered for her great contributions to sports within the state.