Success has never been a stranger to Patsy Neal, who came to Wayland in 1956.  As a collegian, Neal helped the Flying Queens win 131 consecutive games and three Amateur Athletic Union national championships.  After graduation from Wayland in 1960, Neal has been among the most influential authors, consultants, and speakers in women's sport.

A native of Elberton, GA, Neal was named AAU All-American in 1959 and 1960, and won the national AAU Free Throw competition in 1957.  Her 1,165 career points are 21^st on Wayland's career scoring list.  She participated in the 1959 Pan American Games, captained the U.S. team in the World Basketball Tournament in Peru in 1964, and was a member of the U.S. All-Star teams competing in Russia, France, Germany and Mexico.  Neal also coached college teams in basketball, volleyball, badminton and tennis, and coached and played with the Utah Lakers, an AAU independent basketball teams for four years.

A prolific author who has written six books and numerous articles for prestigious publications including the New York Times, Newsweek, Prevention, and the Journal of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Neal has received four Freedom Foundation Awards for essays.  She has also served as keynote speaker for the NAIA National Volleyball and Basketball tournaments, the AAU Women's Basketball Tournament, and at many state and national conventions and conferences.  Neal was inducted into the National Association of Sports and Physical Education Hall of Fame in 1981 and the National AAU Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983, and.  She received the Josten's Service Award in 1993, the Josten's Berenson Award in 1993, and Wayland's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1995.