John Dewar
A native Albertan, John Dewar, 1955 BEd (PEd), spent his youth in small communities throughout the province before moving to Calgary and subsequently to Edmonton, where he attended St Anthony's College. During the Great Depression, entertainment had to be self-created. Sports were always favourite pastimes. It is not surprising, therefore, that Dewar developed an abiding love for games of all types. By the time he arrived at St Anthony's, Dewar was highly motivated in basketball, baseball, and hockey. The opportunity to play on the University of Alberta's Golden Bears basketball team was part of the lure of the U of A, and Dewar enrolled in the Physical Education degree program in 1951.During his playing career, Dewar emerged as an outstanding team member of the Golden Bears and by his final year, he was selected as co-captain. Canadian basketball was highly competitive during the 1950s — both at the university and the Senior "A" levels. The Bears of Dewar's era competed strongly in both divisions. In 1951-52, they won the Western Canada University title but lost the Canadian championship final. The next season, playing in the Canadian Amateur Basketball Association championships, the Bears lost in the finals to the powerful Toronto Tri-Bells. His excellent play and team leadership won Dewar national recognition and the University's Big Block Award.
After graduation, Dewar accepted a position as the Physical Education Program director at Regina's Scott Collegiate Institute and from 1955-59 was a teacher, an administrator and a player for the Sr A Regina Crescents. His team captured three consecutive provincial titles during his tenure. Dewar also played with the Saskatoon Regals Sr A basketball team and in 1959, he moved to Calgary to assume the position as supervisor of physical education for the Calgary Separate School Board. On several occasions, Dewar was drafted by the Sr A Lethbridge Broders to strengthen their squad for key competitions. His playing career, however, was near an end: Dewar was joining the ranks of leading national coaches. In 1960-61, he was the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and following a year off the courts to begin a graduate program at Florida State, he assumed the head coaching position at the University of Alberta (Calgary Campus - UAC) from 1962-66. Under his leadership, the Dinosaurs emerged as contenders at the national level. Dewar's Dinosaurs won the silver medal at the 1966 CIAU championships.
From 1967-69, Dewar served as director of Physical Education at St Francis Xavier University. In 1969, he moved to Sudbury, Ontario, and became the Dean of the Division of Physical Education at Laurentian University, where he initiated the first Sport Administration degree program in Canada. In 1977, he was selected as Dean of the College of Physical Education at the University of Saskatchewan. He continued in this role until 1985. With reduced administrative responsibilities, Dewar returned to his first love — basketball. He became a volunteer coach and chief administrator of the Saskatchewan Wheelchair Basketball team (1987-92) and then the coach/coordinator for the Saskatchewan First Nations basketball teams that competed in the North American Indigenous Games (1992-96). From 1992-98, Dewar served as an advisor to the Saskatchewan First Nations Sports Hall of Fame. His legacy in these fields lives on today. Upon retirement, Dewar was named Professor Emeritus.
The University of Alberta is proud to add John Dewar's name to the Sports Wall of Fame; he is a 2006 inductee.