As Carla Lowry has spent the majority of her life involved in women's athletics. A member of the Hutcherson Flying Queens during the late 50's and early 60's, she was a major part of teams that won two national championships, a gold medal, and put together the longest winning streak in the history of women's collegiate basketball.  Since her graduation from Wayland in 1961, Dr. Lowry has gone on to publish two books on women's basketball plus numerous other articles about women and sport. In 1991, she brought before the delegate assembly of the NAIA motives to improve opportunities for female athletes.

Lowry left Forest, Miss. to begin her career as a Flying Queen in 1957.  A year later, the 5'7" sophomore forward known as a "jump-shot artist", was the second leading scorer on the Queen's 1959 AAU championship team.  She was also one of eight Flying Queens on the United States team that won the gold medal in the Pan American games held in Chicago.

In her final season as a Flying Queen, Lowry was a senior All-American captain and scoring leader on her second AAU National Championship team, as well as being selected to captain a team of Americans which toured Russia, Sweden and Finland.  She was once again chosen to play on the U.S. team in the Pan American games.  Her 1,125 career points was the fourth highest point total at that time in Flying Queen's history, and she still ranks as one of a select few members of the Flying Queens1,000 Point Club.

Dr. Lowry has an MA and Ph.D. from Texas Women's University.  Earlier in her career, she coached volleyball and basketball at Sam Houston State University, winning state championships in both sports as a part of the TAIAW.  She has served as a Professor of Physical Education at the University of Texas at Arlington, and as Athletics Director at Southwestern University. 

In 1975 while at UTA, Dr. Lowry received the AMOCO Foundation Teaching Excellence Award, and she was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. 

She has served as president of the TAIAW and the Southwest Region of the AIAW, and was an executive board member of the AIAW as the Southwest Region IV representative.   Dr. Lowry was a NAIA District Chair and Administrator of the Year in 1987-88.  She has also been a member and Chair of the NAIA Women's Sport Development Committee and served as a member of the NAIA National Executive Committee.

At the time of her induction, Dr. Lowry was serving as Chair and Professor of the Department of Kinesiology and Associate Dean of Students, Director of Wellness and Leisure Activities at Southwestern University.  Her hobbies included golf and "promoting wellness."