Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Percival Talbot "Percy" Molson,
MC (August 14, 1880 – July 5, 1917) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
star athlete and soldier. After an outstanding sports career with
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...
, Molson joined its administration. Molson died fighting in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. In his will, he donated funds for McGill to build its football stadium, named
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (also known in French as ''Stade Percival-Molson''; commonly referred to as Molson Stadium in English or Stade Molson in French) is an outdoor football stadium in Downtown Montreal, on the slopes of Mount Royal, ...
in his honour.
Biography
An
Anglo-Quebecer, Molson was born in the resort community of
Cacouna, Québec, on the
St. Lawrence River. He was the son of John Thomas
Molson (1837–1910) and Jane (Jennie) Baker Butler (1850–1926). A gifted athlete, at the age of sixteen Percival Molson participated in several sports and as an
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
player he was a member of the
Montreal Victorias that won the
1897 Stanley Cup championship.
While studying at McGill University, Percival Molson captained the hockey team, starred in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
competitions, played racquet sports, and made the football team. He was named McGill University's best "all-round athlete" three years in a row, a feat unmatched in the university's history. Throughout competitions in which he participated, he was acclaimed for his sense of fair play and achieved the remarkable distinction of never having been penalized for misconduct in any sport. In track and field he competed in several events including the Long Jump in which he set a world record at the American Athletics Meet in 1900. In 1903, he won the United States Outdoor Track and Field Long Jump championship. After Molson easily beat American
Harry Hillman at the 1903 Canadian Championships in the 400 meter race, it was thought he had a chance in that event at the
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 29 August to 3 September 1904, as part of an extended ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri. However, he finished well back in the field.
After graduation in 1901, Percival Molson was appointed to his University's Board of Governors, the youngest person ever named to that position. While a McGill University Board member he served as the chair of its Finance and Stadium committees. The university authorised construction of a new stadium to be built in
Macdonald Park at the corner of University and Pine Avenues. However, with the onset of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, matters had to be delayed. Percival Molson along with George McDonald were instrumental in establishing the University Companies at McGill and other Canadian campuses to reinforce
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
. Over a thousand men joined the Regiment through six University Companies. Many were subsequently commissioned from the ranks and went on to serve as officers in other Canadian and British units.
Captain Molson joined the Patricia's in the field with the 2nd University Company in October 1915. In June 1916, he was badly wounded in the
Battle of Mount Sorrel at Sanctuary Wood near
Hooge,
West Flanders
West Flanders ( nl, West-Vlaanderen ; vls, West Vloandern; french: (Province de) Flandre-Occidentale ; german: Westflandern ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the No ...
in Belgium. During horrific encounters with the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
, where members of the
1st
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
,
2nd and
3rd Canadian Division
The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from t ...
s suffered 8,430 casualties, Percival Molson received the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC ...
for his valour. After recovering from his wounds, he returned to the front lines with his Regiment (PPCLI) and on July 5, 1917, at the outskirts of
Avion,
Pas-de-Calais
Pas-de-Calais (, "strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of ...
near
Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...
in France, Captain Percival Molson was killed by a direct hit from a German
howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
.
Captain Molson is interred in the Villers Station Cemetery in
Villers-au-Bois in Pas-de-Calais.
In Percival Molson's will he left $75,000 to McGill University to help pay most of the costs for the construction of the stadium. Although it was officially dedicated as McGill Graduates' Stadium at an intercollegiate track meet on October 22, 1915, the Board of Governors of the university renamed the facility
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (also known in French as ''Stade Percival-Molson''; commonly referred to as Molson Stadium in English or Stade Molson in French) is an outdoor football stadium in Downtown Montreal, on the slopes of Mount Royal, ...
on October 25, 1919, in honour of this fallen hero.
In 1996, Captain Percival Molson was an inaugural inductee to th
McGill University Sports Hall of Fame
See also
*
List of Olympians killed in World War I
A total of 144 Olympians are known to have been killed during World War I.
See also
* List of international rugby union players killed in World War I
Notes
A.This includes Hermann von Bönninghausen and Paul Berger, who both died following ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molson, Percival
1880 births
1917 deaths
Anglophone Quebec people
Athletes (track and field) at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees
Canadian ice hockey players
Canadian male long jumpers
Canadian military personnel killed in World War I
Ice hockey people from Quebec
McGill Redbirds football players
McGill Redmen ice hockey players
Percival Molson
Olympic track and field athletes of Canada
Canadian people of English descent
People from Bas-Saint-Laurent
Players of Canadian football from Quebec
Canadian recipients of the Military Cross
Sport at McGill University
Stanley Cup champions
Canadian military personnel from Quebec
Canadian Expeditionary Force officers
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry officers