The Dalhousie Tigers - Dalhousie University

Of the Honourable W. Andrew (Andy) MacKay it was said, “Truly a gentleman, a great athlete and a brilliant student.”Andy, as his classmates knew him during his studies at Dalhousie, embodied the qualities that best represent that perfect balance of academic achievement, sport acumen and extracurricular involvement.

Andy entered Dalhousie in the fall of 1947. As the son of Professor MacKay, a former member of the Dalhousie faculty, Andy was no stranger to the University and embraced campus life right away. He gained immediate popularity and was promptly elected Frosh President. If he wasn’t busy enough balancing academic life with sports and extracurricular activities, he still had time to work for The Gazette as the sports editor in his early years at Dal. Andy gave much to his alma mater through his work on the student council, the Dalhousie Amateur Athletic Club (DAAC) and his participation in athletics. He played five years with both the football and basketball varsity teams, was voted MVP of the football league and was a Climo Award winner as Dal’s top male athlete.

Andy was passionate about two sports during his time at Dalhousie - football and basketball. In both sports he was able to excel. He was a member of Dal’s junior basketball team when they won the Maritime Junior Championship and as quarterback for the newly formed football team, he helped bring the coveted Purdy’s Cup for the conference championship to Dal for the first time.

Football

Andy quarterbacked and played defence with the football team from 1948-52 and also served as team captain. He joined the varsity football team in only their second season of competition, one year after the team became part of the Canadian Football League.  At that time, most team members had just one or two years of football experience under their belt.

The biggest game of the season in 1948 was between Dalhousie and the Stadacona Navy. The Dalhousie backfield made up of Andy MacKay and Paul Lee was called the fastest in the league. Expecting the greatest turn out of fans yet for a football event, with 1000 tickets available for Dal students alone, The Gazette called it the, “greatest game of Canadian football ever played east of Montreal.” Dalhousie won the contest 15-12.

Team practices bring back fond memories for Andy. “In those days Wickwire Field didn’t exist and Studley was just under construction. We practiced on what is now the chemistry building. There were no lights, so we played in the dark if we had to.”

The Tigers opened the 1951 season with a win over defending champions, the Wanderers. The win was termed an upset but it was obvious that the Tigers were off on the right foot. With each game and each succeeding win, football fever at Dalhousie soared.

The excitement on campus was palpable; The Gazette reported on the practice conditions the team had to endure, “The swirling snow and blustery gales of winter swept the field as the Dal football Tigers completed their final week of practice prior to the big game at Studley this Saturday.”

It took five years, but in the fall of 1951 in the final game against Shearwater, the Tigers “brought home the bacon” winning the Purdy Cup, the symbol of Halifax Canadian Football supremacy. 

Basketball

Andy also excelled in basketball, starting with the junior team and then with the varsity team from 1947-52. His first big win in basketball was as a member of the junior team in 1948 when Dalhousie won the City League Championship and went on to the Maritime Junior Basketball Championship. MacKay was playing his usual standout, defensive style of play and led the team to the championship win over Saint John. The Maritime title earned the team a spot in the Canadian championship in Montreal, a remarkable feat for a young Dal team.

Andy was named co-captain of the varsity basketball team in 1949, holding the team together as a consistent, strong leader and talented player.  He was also named the 1948-49 Climo Award recipient as the Dalhousie male athlete who best combined athletic ability, clean sportsmanship and team spirit. At this point, he had two years of varsity basketball and one year of Canadian university football under his belt. Showcasing his general popularity among the student population, Andy was also crowned the new Campus King during Munro Days!

Andy was an unstoppable force on and off the football field and basketball courts.  His involvement also encompassed many other areas of school life.

He devoted a great deal of time to the Dalhousie Amateur Athletics Club, serving as a board member for two years and president for one. He was president of the freshman year class (1947), Chairman of Initiation (1948), a member of Student Council (1949-51), Munroe Day Chairman (1949), a member of the debating team (1952), President of the Arts and Science Society (1949) and served as a Member-at-Large on the student council (1951-52).

Upon graduating with a law degree in 1953, Andy MacKay went on to hold various positions including Professor and Dean of the Dalhousie Law School, Vice-President, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Interestingly, it was during his term as President of the University from 1980-86 that the construction and opening of the new Memorial Arena took place.

The Honourable W. Andrew MacKay is a former judge of the Federal Court of Canada and a distinguished jurist. He was admitted to the Bar of Nova Scotia in 1954 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1972. From 1967-86, he was Chair of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and was the Ombudsman for Nova Scotia from 1986-88.

MacKay was appointed Judge of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, ex-officio member of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada in 1988. After retiring as a judge in 2004, MacKay served as Deputy Judge of the Federal Court from 2004-07.

For all these reasons, we are here today to induct the Honourable W. Andrew MacKay into the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame.