Capt. Percival Molson was an inaugural inductee to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
Born in Cacouna, Que., on Aug. 14, 1880, Percy Molson developed into one of Canada's most outstanding athletes.
At the age of 16, he played on the 1897 Stanley Cup championship Montreal Victorias and he later became McGill's first-ever Olympian, competing in track and field at the 1904 Summer Games in St. Louis.
Molson graduated from McGill in 1901 with a B.A., followed by a B.Sc. in 1904. He captained the hockey team in 1902-03, starred in track, racquet sports and football and won the Individual Trophy as the school's best "all-round athlete" for three consecutive years, a feat unmatched in McGill sports history. He earned every athletic honour the University offered and set a world record in the long jump at the American Athletics Meet in 1900.
He was renown for his sportsmanship and earned the unique distinction of never having been penalized in any sport for unfair tactics. In one particular hockey game versus Queen's, Molson was penalized for what was perceived by the referee as an illegal body check on George Richardson, captain of the Golden Gaels.
However, Richardson protested that he had been checked fairly and the referee agreed to cancel the penalty. Later in the game, Molson was given credit for a goal but he admitted to the referee that the puck had gone in off his arm and the goal was disallowed!
He also played with Montreal Amateur Athletic Association of the Canadian Rugby Football Union. After graduation, Molson became the youngest member to serve on the McGill Board of Governors, chairing its Finance and Stadium committees.
He was severely wounded overseas in the Battle of Sanctuary Wood on June 2, 1916 and received the Military Cross for gallantry and distinguished conduct in action. He insisted on returning to action and was killed by a direct hit from a trench mortar on the outskirts of Avion, France on July 5, 1917.
In his will was a $75,000 bequest towards the construction of a McGill football stadium, which was dedicated in 1919 as Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. The present day value of that gift is approximately $1.34 million. Molson was inducted posthumously to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
