Stories of a Legendary Falcon: Doris Brown Heritage

In the Winter Quarter 2025 Connections alumni e-newsletter, we asked you to share how Doris Brown Heritage ’64, ’70 MEd — SPU’s legendary two-time Olympian and five-time world champion — may have inspired you. As a coach, professor, friend, and mentor, Doris left an indelible mark on our community during her remarkable tenure at SPU, and alumni responded with incredible stories. We’re thrilled to share those memories with you here. If you have additional recollections to contribute to this ongoing tribute to our extraordinary Falcon legend, send them to us at alumni@spu.edu.

Also, don’t miss Last Lap, the 2025 documentary about Doris, now streaming on Amazon Prime. Created with the support of executive producer Rev. Dr. Bonnie Burgoyne Brann ’72, Last Lap follows Doris’s journey to becoming the world’s fastest woman, highlighting how she overcame personal struggles and defied societal expectations to achieve athletic greatness.

College classmates

When my parents and I began moving my things into our room, Doris was not there, but her side of the room was all set up. I noticed a picture of a group of very athletic young women sitting on her bookshelf. This caused me to wonder who my roommate was.

Soon a rather timid, soft-spoken young woman came to the open door of the room. “Hi, I’m Doris, your roommate,” she said without much fanfare.

Well, I soon learned that the picture was of the women she had trained with at the 1960 Olympics. She was a runner. After I got all moved in and my parents left, Doris said that she needed to mail a letter at the SUB and wanted to know if I would like to run over with her. Of course, that sounded great to me as I was anxious to explore the campus.

Soon a rather timid, soft-spoken young woman came to the open door of the room. “Hi, I’m Doris, your roommate,” she said without much fanfare.

We walked down the stairs from the third floor to the entryway. As soon as we got to the sidewalk, Doris took off like a shot! She really meant RUN over to the SUB! This was my first lesson in understanding that I should take her words literally.

One of the first events of the school year was the “All School Trek” to Lincoln Park in West Seattle. Rides were provided to the park because it was a long way over there. When it was getting time to leave, my “literal” roommate decided that if this was a trek, then we should trek back to SPC. Now this involved a very long trek from West Seattle, along the waterfront, up through town to Aurora Avenue, through the Canlis (Restaurant) parking lot, under the Aurora Bridge to get to Third Avenue on Queen Anne Hill. [Editor’s note: This was nearly 9 miles and included hills.]

We did get back before dark, but our house mother was not very excited when we told her about our adventure.

Doris and I roomed together for two years as we both became resident assistants for our junior year of school. In those two years, I learned what it means to face some very difficult circumstances with a strong faith and trust in God. I saw in Doris a conviction that God would be with her to guide her path ahead when things were uncertain. They were very good years that she and I have often talked about since then.

— Marguerite Watkins Blue ’64

I was a member of the Falcon Track Club and knew Doris Heritage well. During my days at Seattle Pacific College, Dr. (Ken) Foreman was our coach and the reason we were privileged to participate in various track meets. Track and field competition (for women) was in its infancy and there was no track and field meets as a varsity sport at the college. Our coach, who later became an Olympic coach, personally took us to compete with other girls’ track clubs in the state.

Being with Doris both on and off the field was a wonderful experience for myself and others on the team. I saw her consistency in training as being something I wanted and needed in the throwing events of javelin, discus, and shot put. She always encouraged me to do my best, and this meant so much to me, both then and throughout life, when I faced difficult, or what I thought to be impossible, situations in my life. The years I participated in the Falcon Track club were 1962 and 1963. — Joyce Bowerman ’63, ’74

PE teacher and coach

I had Doris Brown for a PE class at SPC. I know she wouldn’t remember me because I didn’t do anything to stand out really.

This was my first PE class ever in which I was really inspired to improve myself. I didn’t know I could run three miles. She had us all on a self-improvement program where we competed with ourselves. We charted our progress and tried to make improvements.

She probably doesn’t even know how many students she inspired.

It was the best PE class I ever had, and I did the best in it that I’d ever done. She gave me a whole new view on fitness. She probably doesn’t even know how many students she inspired. She did this, all with a calm, friendly, and non-threatening manner.

I still can do three miles. I don’t run or do the treadmill because of the jarring to my knees, but I just did three miles on my elliptical this morning.

Thank you so much, Doris Brown Heritage, for your inspiration and dedication.
— Mary Ann Schnebly Helton ’75

I was a PE major and ran track and cross country for one year as a junior. The one thing I remember though about Doris was when she taught kayaking, and then she taught kayak building.

A man had the kayak mold who lived at Fraternity Snoqualmie, just a short distance from my family’s house in Issaquah, and it is a nudist colony. I am sure she was quite surprised when I told her that. — Daniel Bartholomew ’73

I have many memories of Doris, mostly while she was running and I also would go to the track and run. I’m sure she ran a lot farther. That was when I was a student, but she was still there as a professor when I came back as a professor from 1987 to 1999. I was in awe of her, and she inspired me to run. She was friendly while also being a bit shy. — Karen Strand Winslow ’74

I watched in awe as she casually caught the rope and proceeded hand over hand to the top without her legs even touching!

I remember coming to SPU in 1987-88 to finish up a physical education degree and earn my K-8 elementary and K-12 PE teaching endorsements. I took a PE course from Doris, and she offered us a chance to climb a rope that hung from the gym ceiling. I thought I was strong because I could climb all the way up and down the usual way, using arms and legs to pull and propel me.

Then I watched in awe as she casually caught the rope and proceeded hand over hand to the top without her legs even touching! I thought, wow, this is a special type of human!

Physical strength aside, I was also inspired by her kind, calm demeanor and the way she exuded humility alongside leadership.

 I only had her for this one class, but she made a lasting impression on me, and I’ll always carry with me that picture of the amazing spider-woman twice my age gliding her way to the top!
— Brigette Frederick Hendrix ’88

Prayer partner

including Doris, on a Celtic prayer journey to Iona, Scotland. The small island is in the Hebrides on the western coast of Scotland, and I still remember how early each morning, Doris would be running through the purple heather before most of us had even started our day. – Bonnie Burgoyne Brann ’72