Fonds - Amateur Athletic Union: Southwestern Ontario Branch fonds

The Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (A.A.U. of C.) was originally established in April, 1884, known then as The Amateur Athletic Association of Canada, and later as the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union. The inaugural elected officers were president William L. Maltby, 1st vice president James Pearson, 2nd vice president Dr. W.C. Cousens, treasurer W.L. Mathews, and honorary secretary H.W. Becket. Due to the subsequent amalgamation with the Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada, a group that had broken away from the C.A.A.U. several years prior, the C.A.A.U. became the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada in 1909. The Amateur Athletic Union of Canada was responsible for much of Canada’s athletics governance in the early 20th century. It acted as the chief sports governing body for Canada when the International Olympic Committee was organized in 1894. The Ontario branch of the C.A.A.U. was founded around 1908, as recorded by secretary N. H. Crows. The South-western Ontario Branch of the A.A.U. of C. is believed to have been founded in 1933, following the division of the Ontario Branch. The South-western Ontario branch oversaw activities of the Union in and around Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Windsor and London, Ontario. Although the South-western Ontario branch’s Secretary at the time of its foundation in 1933 is unknown, in 1934 the branch secretary was Gordon Young. He continued to hold this position until 1936 when he was succeeded by Harry B. Rockey. Nelson C. Hart, a former professor at the University of Western Ontario, was involved with amateur athletics in Canada for at least 15 years during the early period of the South-western Ontario branch of the A.A.U. of C. After acting as a provisional chairman for the South-western Ontario Branch in 1933, he went on to serve as the branch’s president from 1934-1935. He was the 1st vice-president of the A.A.U. of C. between 1939 and 1947. During World War II, many athletes were called upon for active military service. The annual meetings of the A.A.U. of C. were again suspended, however individual branches were encouraged to continue activities. Officially, the first annual meeting after the war was in 1946. J. B. Ferguson held the secretary’s position from 1943 to 1946, followed by J.H. Histed in 1947, B. A. Mitchell in 1948, and W. A. Dewar from 1948 to 1952. In 1946, when the Canadian Olympic Committee, later known as the Canadian Olympic Association, began acting independently of the A.A.U. of C., N.C. Hart became the Union’s honorary secretary. He served in this role until 1948, and was the A.A.U. of C.’s South-western Ontario branch 1st vice president from 1948 to 1949. W. Alex Dewar was the acting secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union, South-western Ontario branch, between 1948 and 1952. He was the branch’s vice-president in 1952, and president from 1952 to 1953. In addition, Dewar was the interim chairman of physical and health education for the University of Western Ontario between 1947 and 1949. All branches of the A.A.U. of Canada closed with the national suspension in 1970.

John Howard Crocker was born in St. Stephen, N.B. on April 19, 1870. After attending Halifax’s Dalhousie University as an undergraduate, Crocker earned a master’s degree at the Y.M.C.A. Physical Education Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts. A noted athlete, Crocker won the National Pentathlon Championship in 1896 and 1897. In 1894, Crocker was named the general secretary of the Amherst, Nova Scotia Y.M.C.A. After gaining experience at several Canadian Y.M.C.A. branches, holding positions of ever-increasing responsibility, Crocker was named Canada’s national Y.M.C.A. physical director. In 1908, he was one of the inaugural officers in the Ontario branch of the Royal Life Saving Society. In 1911, Crocker accepted a YMCA position in Shanghai, China. In 1915, he was chosen to manage the Chinese team at the Far Eastern Athletic Games. After 36 years of employment with the Y.M.C.A., Crocker retired as National Director of Physical Education in 1930, at the age of 60. Upon his retirement from the Y.M.C.A., Crocker immediately took on the position of physical education director at the University of Western Ontario; he continued serving Western in this capacity until his retirement in 1948. A well-known philatelist, Crocker remained at U.W.O. after his retirement in order to serve as an advisor and to organize the A.O. Jeffery Stamp Collection. In recognition of his years of service to Western and to promoting athletic excellence, the University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 1950. Crocker was associated with the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada from 1896 until his death in 1959. In 1908, Crocker managed Canada’s first official Olympic team in London, England; he was named “honorary manager” for every subsequent Canadian Olympic team until 1956. He was the named secretary of the Canadian Olympic Committee in 1922 – a position he would hold for 25 years. J. Howard Crocker died on Nov. 27, 1959 in Victoria, British Columbia.