Roger Charles Jackson, (born January 14, 1942) is 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 ...

academic and Olympic gold medallist rower. He won the only gold medal for Canada at the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the

coxless pair A coxless pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with Sweep (rowing), sweep oars. The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each having one oar, one on the stroke (rowin ...

with George Hungerford. The same year they were awarded the

Lou Marsh Trophy The Northern Star Award, formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy, the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, wit ...

. Jackson also competed at the 1968 Olympics and finished eleventh in the single sculls event. At the 1972 Olympics he was a crew member of the Canadian boat which finished twelfth in the

coxed four A coxed four, also known as a 4+, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one ...

s competition.

Biography

In 1959 Jackson enrolled to the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...

where he started training in rowing. In 1963 he received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree and entered a graduate school at the University of Toronto, but shortly transferred to the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

aiming to qualify for the 1964 Olympics. He did qualify, but his partner, Donald Pretty, had to be replaced by George Hungerford. Jackson and Hungerford first competed together at the Olympics, yet they won the gold medal. In 1967 Jackson graduated with a master's degree in physical education and then entered the University of Wisconsin. He defended a Ph.D. in biodynamics in 1971 and for his post-doctoral studies went to the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

. After retiring from rowing he became active as a sports and medial administrator. He was the Director of

Sport Canada Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects related to sport. Its mission "to enhance opportuniti ...

from 1976 through 1978 and was President for three terms of the

Canadian Olympic Committee The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC; french: Comité olympique canadien) is a private, non-profit organization that represents Canada at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is also a member of the Pan American Sports Organization ...

(1982 through 1990). From 1978 to 1988, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being inst ...

. He was the founder and Director of the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre.

Awards and honors

In 1964, Jackson was inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

. In 1983, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the c ...

. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Own the Podium 2010 and inducted into the University of British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was named by CBC sports as one of the 25 most influential Canadians in sports for 2009. In 2012, Jackson was appointed to the

Alberta Order of Excellence The Alberta Order of Excellence (french: Ordre d'excellence de l'Alberta) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alber ...

. In June 2015, he received an honorary degree from Western University in London, Ontario.Western News – Jackson preaches 'resilience, courage and persistence – in everything'
News.westernu.ca (June 1, 2015). Retrieved on 2015-06-21. During the 1976 Canada Cup hockey tournament, Jackson participated in the postgame ceremony following the Canada-Sweden game in Toronto. He presented an award to Sweden's player of the game.

References

External links

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CBC radio broadcast: Dark horse champions – 1964 Tokyo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Roger 1942 births Living people Canadian male rowers Canadian university and college faculty deans Lou Marsh Trophy winners Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic rowers of Canada Rowers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Canada Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Rowers from Toronto University of Western Ontario alumni Olympic medalists in rowing Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence Presidents of the Canadian Olympic Committee