In 2021, at a banquet celebrating former Dartmouth athletics director and women’s lacrosse coach Josie Harper, Mary Page Michel ’87 asked former lacrosse players to stand if they coached or taught lacrosse after graduating. Michel — who played under Harper from 1983 to 1987 — said virtually everyone stood.
The moment was a “testament” to the profound impact Harper had on her players, women’s lacrosse head coach Alex McFadden said.
“She inspired all these women to keep the sport very much in their lives and, in doing so, they’re bettering women’s lacrosse [and] women’s athletics for futures to come,” McFadden said.
Harper died in White River Junction on June 16 at age 81, according to her family’s obituary. She had battled cancer for around four years, according to her niece Christine Record.
After graduating from West Chester University — where she played lacrosse — in 1965, Harper coached basketball, field hockey and lacrosse at Penncrest High School. In 1981, she was hired as Dartmouth’s women’s lacrosse head coach. During her 11-year tenure, she led the team to its first Ivy League championship in 1986 and then again in 1987, according to Michel. In 2002, Harper became the first female athletics director in the Ivy League. She retired in 2009.
According to Amy Patton, who served as assistant coach under Harper from 1990 to 1992, Harper “brought out the best in everyone” through her wisdom and knowledge. Harper had a “caring side” that extended to everyone who worked with her, she said.
“She always cared about her student athletes [and] cared about the coaches,” Patton said. “Everyone always felt her support, and it didn’t matter … whether you were in the ticket office or you were a coach or you were in the equipment room.”
While Harper used a “tough” coaching style, she was unwaveringly supportive of her players, Michel said. Harper and Michel remained close friends after Michel graduated.
When Michel attended business school at Duke University, Harper encouraged her to start a varsity women’s lacrosse program there. Michel coached and advised the existing club team and successfully petitioned the Board of Trustees for promotion to varsity status.
“If you’ve had a really, really great coach in your life, and she challenges you to do something, you do it,” Michel said.
McFadden also said that Harper was an “incredible mentor.” She initially connected with Harper after assuming the head coach position in 2019.
“I only had the opportunity to be with her for five years, but I felt like she has been a mentor for me my entire life,” McFadden said. “She made you feel … whether you had five minutes with her or five years with her, she was going to help you and she was going to care for you and be there for you through anything you did.”
According to Record, Harper treated “most people just like family.” Patton said Harper became a lifelong close friend to her and her children.
“She created a village around her of so many people that literally adore her,” Patton said. “I think people that knew her would run through a brick wall for her.”
According to Patton, Harper was “very determined” to “make things right and equal and opportunistic” for women athletes. Patton said Harper advocated for the women’s softball team to receive varsity status and a facility.
“She was always one of those women in the forefront to make things better for the women’s side of [athletics], and I think she did that at Dartmouth very well,” Patton said.
According to Record, Harper was “as witty as you can get” and found laughter with everybody around her.
“In the most difficult situations, Aunt Jo could find the humor to help herself [and] help anybody get by,” Record said. “That was another amazing quality God gifted her with, and like I said, she used all her gifting to give it back to others.”
A celebration of life for Harper will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 21 at Rollins Chapel.
