Della Durant, an assistant athletic director and the first coordinator of the women's varsity program at Penn State, announced yesterday she will retire June 30, after 33 years with the University's athletic programs.

"Women's intercollegiate athletics has lost a spokeswoman," said Ellen Perry, one of three assistant athletic directors at Penn State. "The community is gaining from Penn State's loss. She is a leader and a mentor. There is no one who has been in her sphere of influence who won't be sorry to see her leave."

Durant said that she has no definite plans after her retirement, but expects to be participating in volunteer work within the State College community.

Plans to name a successor are still being formulated and will be coordinated with other athletic department reorganization plans, said Athletic Director Jim Tarman.

"My years at Penn State have been enjoyable, challenging and rewarding," Durant said. "It has been a privilege to be a faculty member at this great institution and to be involved in athletic administration. My life has been enriched through my association with the students and my professional colleagues."

Durant helped build today's 13-sport women's intercollegiate program at Penn State, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

"Della Durant has been an exceptional advocate for women's sports at Penn State," Tarman said. "Her enthusiasm and effort were a cornerstone of the movement at its inception and her vision helped set the course for our current program and for the future."

Durant, a 1950 graduate of Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y., has been a member of the Penn State staff since 1956 and an assistant athletic director since 1973. She has served on the Faculty Senate's Committee on Academic Athletic Standards since 1977, and from 1975 to 1988 she served on the Penn State Student Organization Appeal Board.

In addition to her responsibilities at Penn State, Durant is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Council, a six-year chairperson of the Atlantic 10 Conference Advisory Committee and a member of the NCAA Eligibility Committee.

"We have been fortunate to have an administrator like Della who has worked diligently to advance Penn State athletics, particularly our women's programs," Tarman said. "She has been part of the fabric of sports here for 33 years and her contribution cannot be minimized. We thank her for her many efforts on behalf of all Penn State athletics and wish her well in the years ahead."