In identifying individuals who helped lay the foundation upon which Wayland Baptist University's Flying Queens were built, Marie Wales Upton comes to the forefront.  A graduate of New Deal High School, Mrs. Upton enrolled in Wayland Baptist College in only its second year as a senior college and almost immediately helped propel the Flying Queens to the top of the Amateur Athletics Union, setting a precedent for what has become the winningest women's basketball team in American collegiate history.

Mrs. Upton was a Flying Queen from 1949-53, earning All-American recognition in 1952 and 1953 and serving as team captain in 1953.  Following a disappointing 8-14 finish her freshman season, Mrs. Upton helped the Queens improve to 17-7 in 1950-51, 30-10 in 1951-52, and 35-4 in 1952-53.  She was a member of the AAU national runner-up teams in her final two seasons, and played internationally when the Queens visited Mexico City.  As a senior, she became the first female to be named Wayland's Athlete of the Year.

A physical education and science major at Wayland, Mrs. Upton entered the teaching and coaching profession after graduation, remaining there for 36 years until retiring in 1990.  The final 27 years of her career were spent with the Anaheim, CA School District.  The winner of numerous professional awards, she was named Southern California Basketball Coach of the Year in 1980, and received the Merit Award for Distinguished Service from the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association in 1992.