Bio:
Inducted into the hall of fame - Sep 26, 02
F. M. Van Wagner was inducted as a builder into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
He was born Floyd Marcellus Van Wagner on March 27, 1894 in Hyde Park, N.Y., and died in Montreal on June 15, 1989. Known to everyone as "Van", he served as a professor and assistant physical education director at McGill from 1920 until 1954, coaching the basketball, cross-country and track & field teams.
He coached the Redmen to an intercollegiate basketball championship in 1931-32 and was instrumental in developing McGill into a track powerhouse in eastern Canada, leading the team to 14 titles in 31 years.
He introduced the notion of training and developed the innovative philosophy of concentrating athletes to compete in their best events only.
In 1953, Van Wagner became only the third person to receive an honourary McGill "M" certificate from the Athletics Board. A trophy named after him was presented to the winner of the intermediate intercollegiate track & field championship.
He received an Award of Merit from the Sportsman’s Association in 1953 and the R. Tait McKenzie Award in 1982 in recognition of distinguished service and unremitting zeal in promoting physical education and recreation.
F. M. Van Wagner, born in 1894 at Hyde Park, N.Y., was a physical education professor for more than three decades at McGill, who coached the cross-country, track and basketball teams and was inducted as a builder.
Van Wagner coached from 1920 until 1951. Van Wagner led McGill to an intercollegiate basketball championship in 1931-32 and was instrumental in developing McGill into a track powerhouse in eastern Canada, leading the team to 14 intercollegiate titles. He died in 1989.
UNIVERSITY SPORTS INVOLVEMENT & AWARDS:
BASKETBALL:
* coached McGill men's basketball senior and intermediate teams from 1923-44
* led team to Canadian Intercollegiate Basketball League championship in 1931-32
TRACK & FIELD:
* coached McGill track & field team for 31 years from 1920-51
* established an annual McGill interscholastic track meet, which averaged 860 entries, bringing much awareness and many laurels to the McGill track program. These meets not only helped produce many outstanding athletes but they also helped recruit future athletes to McGill
* was instrumental in developing McGill into a track powerhouse in eastern Canada, leading team to 14 intercollegiate championships: 5 consec. from 1920-25, one in 1928-29, 7 straight from 1930-37 and one more in 1939-40 (before WW II resulted in the suspension of competitions)
* prior to his involvement, track athletes competed in almost all events no matter how weak they were but Van Wagner developed the innovative philosophy of concentrating the most athletes in events that they had a good chance to win and he limited athletes competing in events that they had little chance to win. This resulted in McGill winning most of its meets by maximizing the number of points it could get, rather than winning every event. This strategy is still used today!
* introduced the notion of continuation and preparation in training (especially in the off-season). One athlete to benefit from this new emphasis was Dr. Phil Edwards, perhaps the greatest McGill track star ever, who dominated the CIAU track scene from 1931 to 1936 and earned FIVE bronze medals over three Olympics (1928, 1932, 1936)
* after his retirement in 1951, he was honoured by the McGill Athletics Board at the annual awards banquet, becoming only the third person to receive an honourary McGill "M" certificate.
* was also recognized by having a trophy named after him, which was to be presented to the winner of the intermediate intercollegiate track & field championships
* received an Award of Merit by the Sportsman's Association (Nov. 30, 1953)
McGILL OUTING CLUB:
* director of the McGill Outing Club, a popular co-educational activity that encompasses such events as cross-country skiing, rock climbing and barn dances
PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
* graduated from Springfield College with a B.P.E. '20
* served as asst. physical education director & track coach from Sept. 1920 until 1944
* established a new era in track & field at McGill where part-time coaches had been the norm previously (in that era, there were only three full-time members of the Athletics Dept. staff)
* served as director of recreational activities (1948-53)
* served as assistant professor in the McGill School of Physical Education (1945-46)
* served as associate professor in the McGill School of Physical Education (1947-53)
RELATED RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSIDE McGILL ATHLETIC CAREER:
* member of the Montreal Basketball League executive
* first president of the Quebec Basketball Referees Association
* a charter member of the board of directors of the Quebec Track & Field Association
* board of directors of the Montreal Track & Field Club
* a track official in numerous Quebec meets; organized Canadian Legion track meets at the Forum
