Arlene Gorton graduated from Pembroke College in 1952 with an A.B. in English literature. While at Pembroke she played softball and badminton, captaining the softball team her senior year and ranking as the top singles badminton player. After graduating, Gorton went to the University of North Carolina for two years, before returning to New England where she taught at Connecticut College for seven years. In 1961, she returned to Pembroke as the Director of Physical Education and as a professor in the Physical Education department. After the Pembroke-Brown merger in 1971, Gorton was demoted to Assistant Athletic Director, a position she filled until retiring in 1998. During her nearly forty years at Brown University, she fought to give women greater athletic opportunities through better facilities and more financial support. She was awarded the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators Division I Administrator of the Year in 1998.