Robert (Bob) Gage BA '44

2006 Sport Achievement Award Recipient

A graduate of Assumption College, Bob Gage served with the armed forces during WWII. After the war he worked for Canadian High News, weekly publication geared to high school sports in Ontario.

In 1949 Bob began a 33 year “labour of love” at the London Free Press as a sports writer, retiring in 1982 having never missed a Western basketball home game. Widely considered to be the dean of Canadian high school, university and amateur sports reporters, Bob, also known as “Scoop” or “Gager.” is recognized by athletes, coaches, officials and fans wherever he goes and he rarely forgets a name. Throughout his career he covered amateur sports, University of Western Ontario (UWO) athletics in particular for the London Free Press.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to athletics at UWO and in Canada, he was presented with the UWO’s Purple Blanket, an award normally reserved for athletes, at “Bob Gage Night” in 1999. Bob was also received his 50 year pin as a graduate of Windsor’s Assumption College.

Expanding his support of Mustang Athletics, he established the Bob Gage Athletic Leadership Awards to recognize three athletes each year who are leaders on the field and in the classroom. There is also the Bob Gage trophy (Purple Heart Award) which is presented by the London Free Press to a Mustang basketball player each year. Western’s School of Journalism has a Bob Gage Award for fledgling sports writers

During his career Bob attended the Olympic Games in Rome, Tokyo, Mexico City, Munich, Montreal and Seoul, Korea. He covered Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Cardiff, Jamaica, Edinburgh, Edmonton and the Pan American Games in Winnipeg and Puerto Rico. And a secret to his success is that Bob had time for everyone and was genuinely interested in people, from high school athletes to Olympians.

In 2001, Bob published “Mustang Tales” a 157-page volume devoted entirely to the history of men’s athletics (athletes, coaches and teams) at the University of Western Ontario in the 20th century.

Among Canada’s most decorated sports reporters, Bob “Scoop” Gage was inducted into the OUAA Football Legends Hall of Fame, the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame and the W Club Hall of Famers at the University of Western Ontario. Upon hearing that he was to be inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 at age of 82, Bob responded, “This is really good news, Its invigorated me so much, I feel like running around the block!”