Barbara Ann Scott
Barbara Ann Scott OC OOnt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | May 9, 1928|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | September 30, 2012 Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Nassau County, Florida, U.S. | (aged 84)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retired | 1948 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Barbara Ann Scott
Life and career
Scott was born on May 9, 1928,[2] the youngest of three children born to Canadian Army Colonel Clyde Rutherford Scott and Mary (née Purves) of Sandy Hill, Ottawa.[3] She began skating at the age of seven with the Minto Skating Club, coached by Otto Gold and Sheldon Galbraith.[4][5] At age nine, Scott switched from regular schooling to tutoring two-and-a-half hours a day in order to accommodate her seven hours of daily ice training.[6] At the age of ten she became the youngest skater ever to pass the "gold figures test"[5] and at eleven years won her first national junior title.[7] By the age of fifteen, Scott became Canada's senior national champion, she held the Canadian Figure Skating championship title from 1944 to 1946.[8][9]
In 1947, with funding raised by the community,[4] Scott traveled overseas and became the first North American to win both the European and World Figure Skating championships, and remains the only Canadian to have won the European title.[10][11] This led to her being voted Canadian Newsmaker of the Year in 1947.[12] On her return to Ottawa during a parade she was given a yellow Buick convertible (license plate: 47-U-1); however it had to be returned for her to retain amateur status, to be eligible for the 1948 Winter Olympics.[13][14]
During the 1948 season, Scott was able to defend both the World Figure Skating and the European Skating Championships, and reacquired the Canadian Figure Skating Championship, becoming the first North American to win all three in the same year and the first to hold consecutive world titles.[11] She was featured on the cover of Time magazine on February 2, 1948, one week before her Olympic debut in St. Moritz, Switzerland.[15]
At the 1948 Winter Olympics, Scott became the first and only Canadian in history to win the ladies' singles figure skating gold medal.[5][16] After the Olympic win she received a telegram from Prime Minister Mackenzie King, stating that she gave "Canadians courage to get through the darkness of the post-war gloom."[17] When Scott returned to Ottawa on March 9, 1948, the car that she originally relinquished in 1947 was given back (license plate now: 48-U-1), and she also received the "Key" to the city.[13][18] She was commonly referred to as "Canada's Sweetheart" in the press at this time,[19] so much so that a collectible doll (accompanied by a letter from her) was issued in her honour in 1948.[20] According to figure skating writer and historian Ellyn Kestnbaum, Scott "brought polish, glamour, and feminine delicateness"[21] to figure skating. She was described as "a cover girl",[21] inspiring Canadian girls to become skaters. She was also one of the first skaters to specifically choreograph and to musically interpret her free skating programs, instead of using music as a background accompaniment.[21]
Scott officially relinquished her amateur status in the summer of 1948 and began touring North America and Europe, headlining in a variety of shows over the next five years.[5] Among her early successes was Tom Arnold's Rose Marie on Ice at the Harringay Arena in London, UK.[22] She went on to replace her childhood idol Sonja Henie in the starring role with the "Hollywood Ice Revue" in Chicago,[23] which became the subject of a Life cover story on February 4, 1952.[24] The grueling schedule of a professional skater took its toll, and at the age of twenty-five she retired from professional skating.[5]
In 1955, aged 27, she married publicist and former professional basketball player
As a Canadian sports icon
Scott died on September 30, 2012, at her home in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida at age 84.[4][6] Her obituary listed her name as Barbara Ann Scott King.[33] A local arena was named after her in Nepean, Ontario, as part of the Pinecrest Recreation Centre.[34][35]
Orders, accolades and medals
Scott was made an
She was inducted into the
Her first major honour came in the form of the
Event | 1941 | 1942 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winter Olympics | 1st | ||||||
World Championships | 1st | 1st | |||||
European Championships | 1st | 1st | |||||
North American Championships | 6th[43] | 1st | 1st | ||||
Canadian Championships | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Bibliography
- Barbara Ann Scott (1952). Skate with me. A. Redman.
- Barbara Ann Scott; Michael Kirby (1953). Skating for beginners (1 ed.). Knopf.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Topic[44] |
---|---|---|---|
1947 | Johnny at the Fair (Short film) | Herself | A boy is separated from his mother and father and meets celebrities on his journey |
1948 | An Introduction to the Art of Figure Skating (Short film) | Herself | Barbara Ann Scott demonstrates her unique style of figure skating |
1949 | Beauty and the Blade (Short film) | Herself | Dick Button and Barbara Ann Scott demonstrate six types of skating |
1950 | Hollywood Ice Capades premiere (Short film) | Herself | Many skating stars together |
1955 | What's My Line? (TV series) | Herself | Appears as a mystery guest – original air date: April 17, 1955 |
1956 | Happy New Year "Sunday Spectacular" (TV movie) | Herself | Ice ballets by Barbara Ann Scott and Dick Button
|
1984 | You've Come a Long Way, Ladies (TV movie) | Herself | Documenting the great achievements of women in the 20th century |
1997 | Queen of the Blades: Life & Times of Barbara Ann Scott (TV series) | Herself | A biography of Barbara Ann Scott - original air date: March 12, 1997 |
1999 | Reflections on Ice Synopsis (TV series) | Herself | Documentary on women's figure skating |
See also
- Canada at the 1948 Winter Olympics
- Petra Burka
- Karen Magnussen
- Elizabeth Manley
- Kaetlyn Osmond
- Joannie Rochette
- Marilyn Ruth Take
References
- ^ Pearson, Matthew (September 30, 2012). "Olympic champion figure skater Barbara Ann Scott dies". National Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013.
- ^ "Ottawa cheers for Barbara Ann Scott" (audio 3:38 min). CBC. March 7, 1947. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ "A Message Of Inspiring Faith From Barbara Ann Scott". The Miami News. February 13, 1951. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Stevens, Neil (October 1, 2012). "Canadian figure skating legend Barbara Ann Scott dies". The Canadian Press. CBC/Radio-Canada.
- ^ a b c d e "Barbara Ann Scott". The Historica-Dominion Institute. 2009. Archived from the original (video 1:06 min) on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ a b "Canada's Sweetheart dies at 84". The Canadian Press. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-55488-461-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-6859-5.
- ISBN 978-1-55111-268-8.
- ISBN 978-1-55488-417-9. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "Our History - CFSA Milestones". Skate Canada. 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Selections run the gamut over the history of CP's Newsmaker of the Year". The Canadian Press. 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55365-502-2.
- Montreal Gazette. May 7, 1947. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ "Ice Queen". Time. Vol. 51, no. 5. February 2, 1948. p. 2. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-59485-063-9.
- ISBN 978-2-89586-055-6.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott". City of Ottawa Archives. 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-55488-454-4.
- ^ "The Barbara Ann Scott Doll". Canadian Museum of Civilization. 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
- ^ "Celebrating Women's Achievements". Library and Archives Canada. 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Interview with Barbara Ann Scott" (audio 06:22 min). Canada's History. January 20, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ISSN 0024-3019.
- Universal International News. September 19, 1955.
- ISBN 978-1-55002-654-2.
- ISBN 978-1-55002-529-3.
- ^ a b c "Officer of the Order of Canada". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Perry, Heather A. (November 30, 2009). "Olympic gold - Canadians still carry torch for local woman". News-Leader. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the ice". CBC Sports. 2017.
- ^ "Scott brings Olympic torch to Parliament" (video 1:18 min). Canwest News Service. December 10, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ "Scott legacy finds home at city hall". Ottawa Sun. January 25, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott King". Your Life Moments (Canada). Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ^ "Pinecrest Recreation Centre". Ottawa. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott Arena". ArenaMaps.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "Order of Ontario Appointees by year of Appointment". Queen's Printer for Ontario. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- Governor-General of Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott should light Olympic flame". Ottawa Sun. November 26, 2009. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-313-30000-4.
- oshof.ca. Archived from the originalon December 29, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Ainsley (July 11, 2019). "Revitalized College Park is the urban oasis downtown has been missing". Daily Hive. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-55002-529-3.
- ^ "Barbara Ann Scott, 1945 - Canada's Top Athletes - The Lou Marsh Legacy - Honouring Canada's Top Athletes". Loumarsh. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- IMDb
External links
- Barbara Ann Scott - Library and Archives Canada (archived content)
- Canada's Sweetheart - CBC video archives (January 2, 1964 - 11:06 min)
- Interview with Barbara Ann Scott - Canada's History (February 24, 2010)
- Barbara Ann Scott Gallery - City of Ottawa
- Barbara Ann Scott at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
- Barbara Ann Scott at Team Canada
- Barbara Ann Scott at Olympics.com
- Barbara Ann Scott at Olympic.org (archived)
- Barbara Ann Scott at Olympedia