Too many to recount for someone who spent 46 years of his life there!

As an undergraduate (1969-73), my many involvements in Stong College would be the most memorable: from being part of building the Orange Snail, writing and producing the college newspaper bi-monthly, staging college events and coordinating a committee-based student government; to organizing and coaching the Stong hockey team, capturing Stong's first York Torch in 1971-72 and winning the inter-college hockey title in 1972-73. Second most memorable would be geography field studies in third year!

The idea of a Sport Hall of Fame was actually a suggestion that Dr. Frank Cosentino gave me shortly after I had become the University's alumni officer. He was the chair and director of physical education and athletics in 1980. At the time, I thought York was too young for such a thing, but Prof. Carol Wilson (Gluppe), who had stepped forward to help create an alumni organization of varsity athletes, thought we should do it… and so we did… with the help of Frank, Prof. Mary Lyons (Women’s Athletics Coordinator) and an enthusiastic core of alumni volunteer leaders, which in those early years, included George Skene, Shaughn Renahan, Candace (Miller) Brown, Chris Kostka, Enzo Villa, Bruce Matheson, Ev Spence and Marilyn Payne.

When we embarked on the Hall of Fame, historical records were a bit of a challenge: Mary Lyons of course had impeccable records for the women’s program, but the men’s program – not so much. Thankfully, there were the OUAA office, the CIAU record book and Larry Nancekivell -- he had coached 10 or 12 different men’s sport teams during York’s early years in the 60s and 70s before heading off in 1975 to build the Ontario Rugby Union. To a large extent, we also relied on an extensive class project on the "The History of Sport at York University, 1960-1971" written by Mel Thompson and Dan Matheson in 1971-72. We will always be indebted to Larry and to Mary and also to Mel and Dan for providing us with much reliable information to launch the Hall of Fame.

With the support of the Department, Alumni Affairs and the President's Office, we would stage seven induction ceremonies between 1980 and 1986 before the Hall of Fame program was temporarily suspended for several reasons. The program would be revived under the leadership of Prof. Patricia Murray in 2001, during her tenure as Director of Sport & Recreation. There has been an induction dinner each year since that time (generally attended by 120 to 150 people) and there are now 113 chartered members of York University's Sport Hall of Fame.