Margaret Varner-Bloss
National Records
1956- Women's Singles Champion 
1960- Mixed Doubles Champion
1957- Uber Cup Team, Champion
1969- Uber Cup Team Captain, Finalist
1965- USA Badminton Hall of Fame
International Records:
1955 & 1956 All-England Women's
Singles Champion
1958- All-England Women's Doubles Champion
1956-1960 World Invitational Women's Doubles
Champion, Glasgow, Scotland
Margaret is one of USA Badminton's most distinguished and honored athletes. She was born October 4, 1927, in El Paso, Texas. Her college education began at the University of Southern California and after two years of studies she enrolled at Texas Women's University and graduated earning a B.A. and Master of Arts degree in physical education in 1950. She began her illustrious teaching career as an instructor in physical education, Louisiana State University in 1950, moving to Mt. Holyoke College as Chairman of Tennis and Badminton. She was later an assistant professor at Sargent College in Boston University; assistant professor Physical Education, University of Delaware in 1964; and from 1966-1970 assistant professor of physical education at the University of Texas at El Paso. During her teaching career she authored several magazine articles on badminton. One in particular was titled "Tennis Versus Badminton?" for DGWS Tennis-Badminton Guide. She also authored books on badminton, table tennis, and squash. Her badminton book was titled, Badminton, and was co-authored with Stan Hales.
Three racket sports have honored her contributions and outstanding athletic career:
1959 Helms "Hall of Fame" for Badminton; 1965, USA Badminton "Hall of Fame;"
1997, inducted into The Women's Collegiate Tennis "Hall of Fame;" 1999, elected to the International Badminton Federation "Hall of Fame;" 1958, Member, Last Eight Club, Wimbledon; and 2000 elected to US Squash Racquets "Hall of Fame."
Her love for badminton began as a sophomore in college at Texas Women's University. Her instructor, Abbie Rutledge, was the person who introduced her to badminton. She says, "Her enthusiasm and inspiration motivated me to pursue badminton competitively." In the 1950's and into the early 1960's USA badminton had some of the world's brightest female stars. US women's singles draws were strong and competition fierce, often the world's best players were just across the net. Margaret and Judy Devlin, who is considered to be one of the best US players of all time, usually met in the finals. For five consecutive years she and Judy met in the finals of the All-England Championships. Margaret's record against Judy Devlin during this five year period was 2 wins and 3 losses. Winning the All-England Championships during this time would be like winning a gold medal in the present day World Championships. In 1957, Margaret was a member of the "World Championship" Uber Cup Team, and again in 1969 she returned to captain the Uber Cup Team to the world finals. Her individual records are among some of badminton's best. In 1955 and again in 1956, she won back-to-back All-England Women's Singles Championships, and in 1958 returned to win the All-England Women's Doubles Championship. She holds two US National Titles, 1956 Women's Singles and a second in 1960 in Mixed Doubles. Her athletic success was not confined to one sport, but to three racket sports. Embarking upon another racket career (tennis) she was crowned 1944 and 1945 US National Junior Girls' Doubles Tennis Champion. In 1958, she was the finalist for the Wimbledon Ladies Doubles Champion. In 1961 and 1962 she was a member of the United States Wightman Cup Tennis Team, and from 1963-1966 she coached the USA Wightman Cup Tennis Team. Incredibly, she excelled in a third racquet sport, squash. Through 1960-1963 she was the US Ladies Singles Squash Champion and in 1959-63 she was a member of the US Wolfe-Noel Squash Team. In 1961 she was the US Ladies Doubles Squash Champion.
Her sport career has taken her all over the world providing international education and exchange for the US Department of State: providing badminton exhibitions and clinics in Hong Kong, Burma, Ceylon, East Pakistan, India, and West Pakistan. She is the only person ever to play for the United States on three international sport teams: Badminton (Uber Cup), Tennis (Wightman Cup), and Squash Racquets (Wolfe-Noel Cup).
Margaret no longer plays racket sports. She is not retired, but continues to actively pursue other interests, specifically thoroughbred horse breeding. For some thirty years now she has been an owner-breeder of thoroughbred race horses. In 1977 she was selected as a Top 20 thoroughbred breeder-owner.
She presently lives in El Paso, Texas, has one son, Leigh, a grandson, Justin, and two granddaughters, Lauren and Avery. Quite a career!
