Virginia Redford, a 1927 graduate of Cheltenham High School, taught at CHS from 1945-1972, coaching field hockey and tennis in addition to serving as the department chair of the girls’ physical education department.

Under her tutelage, the Cheltenham High School field hockey program produced several All-American and All-Philadelphia area field hockey stars, according to local historian Chuck Langerman.

She graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1931 and earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940. In the 1940s, Miss Redford gained renown in the Delaware Valley for her ability on the tennis and squash courts. She won the Middle States Lawn Tennis Association’s Clay Court Tournament for women in 1942 and 1943.

Miss Redford passed on July 15, 1997 at the age of 88 and was posthumously inducted into the CHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2002.

Laura Harper

Harper, a 2004 Cheltenham High graduate, is the only Lady Panther to play in the WNBA since its inception in 1997.

She was selected in the first round of the 2008 WNBA Draft, tenth overall, by the Sacramento Monarchs. She played two seasons with the Monarchs in 2008 and 2009.

According to Langerman, Harper remains Cheltenham’s all-time leading scorer (boys’ or girls’) with 2009 career points.

In late June, the WNBA announced a three-team expansion, which includes a Philadelphia franchise.

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