first markswoman in history to win Olympic Gold medal
- Born in Billings, Montana
- now living in Fairbanks, Alaska
- competed and won a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
- the first Olympic Champion in Air Rifle for Women
while a student at Murray State University, Kentucky - Pat Spurgin Rifle Range in Murray, Kentucky is named after her
- 2014 torchbearer for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay
- 2014 appointed as director of the Alaskan Office of Management and Budget
About Pat Spurgin
Pat Spurgin, now known as Pat Pitney, made Olympic history at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where women’s shooting events appeared on the Olympic program for the first time. Born in Billings, Montana, in 1965, she was an 18-year-old engineering physics student and rifle team member at Murray State University in Kentucky when she won gold in women’s air rifle, becoming the first Olympic champion in that event. Murray State later named its rifle range in her honor.
After her shooting career, Pitney built a long career in Alaska public service and higher education. Governor Bill Walker appointed her director of the Alaska Office of Management and Budget in December 2014, the same year she was a torchbearer for the Sochi Winter Olympics relay. She became director of the Alaska Legislative Finance Division in January 2020 and took over as interim president of the University of Alaska system on August 1, 2020. The Board of Regents named her permanent president in February 2022, the first woman to hold the position on a permanent basis. She announced her retirement in November 2025, and on her last day, May 21, 2026, the Regents named her President Emeritus.
Key Facts
- 1984: Won Olympic gold in women’s air rifle at the Los Angeles Games
- December 2014: Appointed director of the Alaska Office of Management and Budget
- August 1, 2020: Became interim president of the University of Alaska
- February 25, 2022: Named permanent University of Alaska president
- May 21, 2026: Retired and named President Emeritus
Sources
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