Fonds F978 - Michael J. Rodden fonds

Michael Rodden was born in Mattawa in 1891. His participation in sport covers more than a half a century, first as a player in hockey, baseball, lacrosse, and football, then as a coach and referee, and finally as a sports editor and columnist. From Mattawa he went to the University of Ottawa where he played football and was the lightweight and welterweight boxing champion. He took part in the Porcupine gold rush late in 1909 and served as a fire ranger and game warden for seven years. He entered Queen's University in 1910 and when he left four years later he had won a record-setting fifteen letters in football and hockey. After university he played hockey in Haileybury in 1915 and with Toronto St. Patricks during 1917-18.His coaching in both football and hockey brought him many honours and as a coach or scout he developed or sent thirty-two players to the National Hockey League. In 1918 Mr. Rodden was appointed assistant sports editor of the Toronto Globe and from 1928 to 1936 was sports editor He joined the Kingston Whig Standard as sports editor in 1944 and retired in 1958. He continued to write his weekly column for several years after retirement. He is the only man is Canada to be named to both the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He died in 1978.