A hall like no other
Acadia Sports Hall of Fame still fulfilling its original purpose
As it marks its 30-year anniversary, the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame continues to fulfill its original mandate and purpose.
Established in 1988 in conjunction with the university’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame was envisioned as a means of recognizing excellence and honouring those student-athletes and varsity teams which, through their successes, had made a significant contribution to Acadia’s athletic program and, in doing so, enhanced the image and reputation of the university.
From the beginning, along with the athletes and teams, a Builder category was included to recognize individuals whose contributions to Acadia were other than athlete or team member.
Steve Pound, executive director of the Associated Alumni of Acadia University at the time, was responsible for the Sports Hall of Fame coming into being.
“I started the Hall,” Pound says, “with the full support of then-vicepresident (external affairs) Bill Parker. It had been talked about for a few years, and I took it and ran with it as one of the projects for Acadia’s 150th anniversary.”
Pound did research into other Sports Halls of Fame then in existence. He drafted the original bylaws and guidelines for induction, which, with some revision, are still in use today.
Pound also struck the first Sports Hall of Fame committee, which included (among others) Parker, Don Wells, Liz Vermeulen, Connie MacNeil, Dave Nutbrown and Laura Sanders. MacNeil served as emcee for the first induction held during homecoming weekend in October 1988.
It was intended the Sports Hall of Fame be jointly administered by the Associated Alumni (now under the Office of Advancement) and the athletic department, with both having representation on the committee.
Induction ceremonies have been held at regular intervals over the years. At one time, they were an- nual events. For the past several years, inductions have been held every second year, alternating with the Acadia Women in Sport celebration. The next Sports Hall of Fame induction is set for October 2019.
“The magic of our program is that our student-athletes all understand that they’re a part of something bigger, that’s come before them. That’s the storied history of Acadia Athletics. The Hall of Fame event is one of those special times we get to celebrate connecting the past with the present.”
To be considered for induction as an athlete, a potential inductee must be an Acadia alumnus/alumnae (a graduate, or a student who attended Acadia for a minimum of two years and left in good standing), must have represented Acadia as a student-athlete, and must have competed, with distinction, at the highest level of intercollegiate athletic competition available at the time.
To be considered for induction in the team category, a team must have represented Acadia as a team, and competed, with distinction, at the highest level of intercollegiate competition available at the time.
A potential Builder inductee must have made a significant contribution to Acadia Athletics other than that of a student-athlete or a member of a team.
Normally, consideration for selection to the Sports Hall of Fame will be given after a period of 10 years following an individual’s ‘retirement’ as a varsity athlete. Builders should have been ‘retired’ for a minimum of five years – though in both cases, exceptions can be made.
Anyone with an interest in Acadia Athletics can nominate an individual, team or builder for induction into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame.
Notices of the deadline for nominations, which is normally the end of February, appear annually in the Acadia bulletin and also online on a number of Acadia’s websites.
Nominators are encouraged to provide as much information as possible on the individual or team they are nominating. The selection committee has the final decision on inductees.
Up to and including the 2017 ceremony, there have been 84 athletes, 43 teams and 23 builders inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame since its formation in 1988.
For more information on the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame, a full list of inductees, or to access a nomination form, visit the Sports Hall of Fame website at http://acadiahof.ca.