Margaret Adaline Cummins-Schaefer

Margaret A. Cummins-Schaefer died peacefully at her home on October 3, 2023. She was born in Indianapolis, IN to Joseph L.S. and Jessie Mae Cummins on January 26, 1941. Margaret graduated from Columbus High School in 1959. She earned a B.S. in education from the University of Arizona in 1963 and a Master’s in Education from Smith College in Northampton, MA in 1967. She married David R. Schaefer on December 23, 1984. David passed away June 23, 2010.

Margaret is survived by her sister, JoAnn C. Meek, as well as by her nieces and nephews, Denisa Mallot, Marcia Gurno, Julie Stepp, Diane (Terry) Rick, Joe (Carla) Meek and Matt (Christy) Meek. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother, John Albert Cummins, and her sister, Virginia Mae Burton.

Margaret was a Title IX pioneer who shattered the glass ceiling for women in sports and education. She won the Columbus City Women’s Golf Tournament in 1958 and was the runner-up in the first Indiana Women’s Golf Association State Tournament that same year. Margaret earned varsity letters in basketball, volleyball and golf at the University of Arizona. She taught at Wood High School in Indianapolis and the Mary Burnham School in Northampton, MA before joining the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University in 1967. She was the first head coach of the IU Women’s golf team and served in that role until 1978. While teaching at IU, Margaret published several articles, spoke throughout the Midwest on coaching women’s golf and Title IX, chaired the Indiana University Women’s Intercollegiate Governing Board and helped create the curriculum for the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She is best known for her work and teaching on the psychology of coaching. Thanks to her groundbreaking efforts, Margaret was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel in 1984 and won the first ever Indiana University Grotke Award for exceptional contributions to IU athletics in 2008.

After retiring from IU in 1990, Margaret and her husband David enjoyed traveling, working on the genealogy of both the Schaefer and Cummins families and caring for her dogs, almost all of which were golden retrievers named Happy.

According to Margaret’s wishes, there will be a simple graveside service on October 28, 2023 at 11:00am at Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus, IN.

Please leave a fond memory of Margaret or condolence at www.Hathaway-Myers.com.

Hathaway-Myers Chapel on Pearl St. is serving the Cummins-Schaefer family.