Leah Rawls Atkins
Leah Marie Rawls Atkins was an American historian and water skiing champion. She served as Director of the Auburn University Center for the Arts and Humanities.
Career
Atkins won the 1953 World water skiing championships in Toronto. After a career in water skiing, she earned a Ph.D. in history from Auburn University in 1974.Atkins was the first woman in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. The Leah Rawls Atkins Award, Auburn University’s highest award for athletics, is named in her honor.
Personal life and death
In 1954, Atkins married American football player George Atkins.Atkins died at an assisted living facility in Homewood, Alabama, on October 4, 2024, at the age of 89.