Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dedicated to the history of sports within the province. It was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU).^[1] The museum was eventually taken over by Sport Alberta in 1973 when the AAAU ceased operations.^[2] It has been maintained by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Society since 1997.^[1] The first permanent display for the Hall of Fame was established in Edmonton in 1962.^[3] The museum relocated between Edmonton and Calgary on numerous occasions until settling in Red Deer in 1999.^[1]

Induction

Induction was originally limited to amateur athletes. In 1979, eligibility was also extended to professional athletes.^[1] In the Hall's early years, winners of major international competitions were automatic qualifiers for entry.^[2] However, that practice was ended by 1981 as part of a general tightening of induction criteria for such halls of fame across Canada. At that time, the maximum number of inductions was limited to seven athletes or teams per year.^[4] Inductees are divided into several categories such as athletes, teams, builders and pioneers. The provincial sports media members were also given the Bell Memorial Award^[5]

The first inductees, in 1958, were boxers Charles Cheesman, Wilf Greaves and Hugh Sloan, and track athlete George Sutherland.^[1]

References