Tulsa’s Alicia Conner-Todd Honored During
Annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day
By Grant Rowl
GTR Sports Writer
HURRICANE HONOREE: University of Tulsa Athletic Director Rick Dickson presents Alicia Conner-Todd with her National Girls & Women in Sports Day award at TU’s Reynolds Center in February. From left, front, are Alicia’s son William Todd and granddaughter Raelyn, husband Jackson Todd, and Dickson. Back row are Dr. Mary Nole, left, and Sherrie Jobe Swezey, TU teammates of Alicia. Not in this photo is daughter Sunny Todd of Fort Myers, Florida.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is an annual day of observance held to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, recognize the influence of sports participation for women and girls, and honor the progress exhibited by women in sports.
Each year, the University of Tulsa celebrates extraordinary achievements of women and girls in sports. Alicia Conner-Todd is this year’s recipient of the NGWSD recognition by Tulsa and was honored at the Tulsa-Houston women’s basketball game in February.
Conner-Todd played on the women’s basketball and softball teams in the late 1970’s at Tulsa. She is a lifetime member of Tulsa’s Letterwinner’s Association and a member of Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.
She is married to former major leaguer Jackson Todd, (their first date was a TU women’s basketball game). At the time they met, Jackson was pitching in the major leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Noting their first meeting, he says, “I was at a stop light at 51st and Sheridan with my college fraternity brother Richard Holmes, saw a lovely young lady in the car next to us laughing and talking, then she glanced over our way and smiled. She was beautiful and that smile took my breath away. I knew at that moment what ‘love at first sight felt like.’”
They have raised two children, William and Sunny, who grew up volunteering and attending sporting events on the TU campus. Volunteering at TU has always been a family affair. Sunny Todd still flies home every year and volunteers at the TULA Golf Tournament and Homecoming Events.
Connor-Todd became TU’s first Lady Letterwinner president after being recruited by TU lettermen Jim Yeager, Bob Laird and Chuck Majors to be the first female athlete on the TU Letterwinners Association Board.
Conner-Todd was recruited to TU by Coaches Gene Shell and Dave Rader. As a player and student, she worked with then Athletic Director Emery Turner to advance women’s basketball and softball through changes occurring with Title Nine.
Currently, she serves on several charitable boards and committees, including Sip For Sight, Street School, TU Uncorked, Case Management Society of America, TU Homecoming, Tulsa Homeless Shelters and Shoot for The Center.
She graduated with Honors from TU with Bachelor of Nursing Science and earned her Master’s Degree in Nursing Education and Administration while working Critical Care at St Francis Hospital.
Currently she is the Regional Director of Business and Clinical Development for Villages at Southern Hills and Tulsa Nursing Center, Stonegate’s Senior Living.
Interestingly, Alicia is an Oklahoma All Stater, but not in sports, but in vocal performance. She is a former Runner-up Mrs. Oklahoma has enjoyed a successful model and acting career, having modeled in Italy for Christian Dior and appeared in three movies.
Jackson Todd continues, “Alicia promotes all sports everywhere she goes, always has and always will! She makes the game better, no matter which game she is talking about! Her philosophy is “never take away a sport, but build it.”
Past recipients of the National Girls & Women in Sports Day include Emily Barkley, Union High School athletic director; Aimee Creger, Tulsa All-America softball pitcher; Becky Dixon, sports broadcasting pioneer; Jan Drummond, TU professor; Pat Hardin, strong supporter of TU athletics and women’s sports; Marjorie Lewis, sportswriter; Dale McNamara, Tulsa’s legendary women’s golf coach, Crista Troester, Tulsa’s executive senior associate athletic director/SWA.
