On Thursday, Alice “Cookie” Barron of the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. The Flying Queens went undefeated in her career (1955 to 1957), recording 104 consecutive victories and winning three national championships in the Amateur Athletic Union.
Barron grew up in Georgetown, Texas, and was the last of four children. She got the name “Cookie” from her father in a nod to Cleo Brown’s hit song “Here Comes Cookie” which came out in 1935. She first picked up a basketball in ninth grade. She played basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis in high school and earned 16 letters.
When we met with her in November 2021, she described the circumstances that led to her being offered a scholarship to play college basketball in 1953. She also reminisced about learning ball-handling tricks directly from members of the Harlem Globetrotters as well as her adventures flying around the country with the Flying Queens.
In her final season, Barron was a co-captain of the team and was tabbed as Wayland’s Outstanding Woman Athlete. She was also a first-team All-American. Barron later played in the 1957 World Tournament in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The United States defeated Russia in the final that year.
Once her playing career was complete, Barron went on to serve as an educator and athletics administrator. She was inducted into several Halls of Fame already including the National Federation of State High Schools Association, Colorado High School Coaches Association, Colorado High School Activities Association, Jefferson County Schools Athletic Directors Association, Sportswomen of Colorado and Colorado Coaches of Girls’ Sports.
Barron has helped to keep the Flying Queens’ legacy alive through her involvement in the Hutcherson Flying Queens Foundation.
Other 2022 inductees include coaches Bob Schneider, Doug Bruno, and Paul Sanderford, as well as players Becky Hammon, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Penny Taylor. Contributor Debbie Antonelli rounds out the eight-person class. Stay tuned to this page for more updates about If Not For Them and follow our new social media accounts too. You can find us on Twitter and Instagram at @IfNotForThem. Promo videos are available on our YouTube channel If Not For Them; Brenda VanLengen, Exec Producer.
