RAPID CITY - July 1 was Ruth Rehn's day. The South Dakota native was inducted into a national hall of fame.

"The NFHS High School Hall of Fame is a lasting memorial," said Rehn. "Members who are inducted symbolize ultimate achievement in their field. For me, it's an ultimate achievement in my professional career. I will always appreciate and value this award. To be honored at the national level with so me other outstanding individuals is a very humbling experience. I will never forget July 1, 2009."

Rehn, of Pierre, was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame last weekend for her more than 30 years of efforts to further girls sports in South Dakota. The NFHS is the national leadership organization for high school athletic and fine arts activities.

"Being inducted into any hall of fame is a very humbling honor," Rehn said. "To be inducted into a national hall of fame is almost indescribable from the standpoint of all of the people of that caliber who are inducted."

Rehn grew up in rural South Dakota northwest of Sioux Falls and finished both undergraduate and graduate school at South Dakota State University before going to Minnesota to teach for seven years. She returned to South Dakota to take her job at the SDHSAA and was driven to make Title IX a reality.

Rehn served as the assistant executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association for 34 years, championing the cause of equal opportunity for girls in sports throughout the state and nation.

When Rehn first came to her job in 1974, girls sports included only golf, tennis, gymnastics and track and field. Under her guidance, basketball, volleyball, cross country and competitive cheer and dance have all been added.

Rehn has been instrumental in developing officials' associations in gymnastics, basketball, football and volleyball. She established a statewide Sports Officials Advisory Council, and was responsible for the officials' education program in South Dakota.

She deflects any praise by simply believing she was in the right place at the right time.

"Timing is everything. With the passage of Title IX in 1972 and I started in 1974," Rehn said. "The association knew it needed to add some girls sports, and the timing was right for me to be able to guide some of the additions."

Rehn said that there is no one accomplishment that stands above the rest, but the addition of volleyball, and the use of a smaller ball in girls basketball were two of her more proud accomplishments.

Rehn first learned about the induction from a personal phone call from the NFHS office. But it is a two-part nomination process. Because a recipient must attend the national convention to receive the induction, Rehn made a trip to Chicago last weekend for the national meeting and some sightseeing.

The induction ceremony was the culminating event of the national summer meeting.

"You never know if you are going to be fortunate enough," Rehn said. "Once I made the final 12, they called to see if I would be there."

Rehn is not the first South Dakotan in the national hall of fame. Two Olympic gold medalists, wrestler Randy Lewis and runner Billy Mills, among others, have been inducted.