 Scott in March 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1928-05-09)May 9, 1928 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | September 30, 2012(2012-09-30) (aged 84) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Thomas Van Dyke King (m. 1955–2012; her death) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1948 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Barbara Ann ScottOCOOnt (May 9, 1928 – September 30, 2012) was a Canadianfigure skater. She was the1948 Olympic champion, a two-timeWorld champion (1947–1948), and a four-timeCanadian national champion (1944–46, 48) in ladies' singles. Known as "Canada's Sweetheart", she is the only Canadian to have won theOlympic ladies' singles gold medal, the first North American to have won three major titles in one year and the only Canadian to have won theEuropean Championship (1947–48). During her forties she was rated among the topequestrians in North America. She received many honours and accolades, including being made an Officer of theOrder of Canada in 1991 and a member of theOrder of Ontario in 2008.
Scott was born on May 9, 1928,[2] the only child of Canadian Army Colonel Clyde Rutherford Scott and Mary (née Purves) ofSandy Hill, Ottawa. She had two older half-siblings, from her mother's first marriage.[3]
Scott began skating at the age of seven at theMinto Skating Club, coached byOtto Gold andSheldon 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 firstnational junior title.[7] By the age of fifteen, Scott became Canada's senior national champion, she held theCanadian Figure Skating championship title from 1944 to 1946.[8][9]
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In 1947, with funding raised by the community,[4] Scott traveled overseas and became the first North American to win both theEuropean andWorld Figure Skating championships, and remains the only Canadian to have won the European title.[10][11] This led to her being votedCanadian 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 toretain amateur status, to be eligible for the1948 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 ofTime magazine on February 2, 1948, one week before her Olympic debut inSt. Moritz,Switzerland.[15]
At the 1948 Winter Olympics, Scott became the first and only Canadian in history to win theladies' singles figure skating gold medal.[5][16] After the Olympic win she received a telegram from Prime MinisterMackenzie 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'sRose Marie on Ice at theHarringay Arena inLondon, UK.[22] She went on to replace her childhood idolSonja Henie in the starring role with the "Hollywood Ice Revue" inChicago,[23] which became the subject of aLife 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]
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In 1955, aged 27, she married publicist and former professional basketball playerTom King at Rosedale Presbyterian Church inToronto.[25] The couple settled inChicago, where she opened a beauty salon for a short time, then became a distinguished horse trainer andequestrian rider by her forties.[26][27] During this time, Scott founded and became chancellor of theInternational Academy of Merchandising and Design inToronto.[28] In 1996, the couple retired toAmelia Island, Florida.[29] She remained an influential figure in skating throughout her life; she appeared in films and TV, published books, served as a skating judge, and was formally recognized for her educational and charitable causes including donating a percentage of her earnings to aid crippled children.[4][28]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 " Barbara Ann Scott opens her gallery at Ottawa City Hall" – VideoManOttawa -YouTube(7:11 min) |
As a Canadian sports icon[30] and marking the fortieth anniversary of her Olympic win, she was asked to carry theOlympic torch in the lead-up to the1988 Winter Olympic Games inCalgary. In December 2009, she again carried the Olympic torch, this time toParliament Hill and into theHouse of Commons, in anticipation of the2010 Winter Olympics.[31] She subsequently was one of theOlympic flag bearers during theopening ceremonies inVancouver on February 12, 2010. In 2012, the city of Ottawa announced the creation of theBarbara Ann Scott Gallery, which displays photographs, her championship awards, and the Olympic gold medal that Scott formally donated to the city in 2011.[32]
Scott died on September 30, 2012, at her home inFernandina 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 inNepean, Ontario, as part of the Pinecrest Recreation Centre.[34][35]
Scott was made anOfficer of the Order of Canada in 1991 (OC), and aMember of the Order of Ontario (OOnt) in 2008 for her contributions to sports and charitable endeavours.[28][36][37]
She was inducted into theCanadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1948,Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955, theOttawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1966, theSkate Canada Hall of Fame in 1991, theInternational Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, theOntario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 1998 was named toCanada's Walk of Fame.[38][39][40] The Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail at Toronto'sCollege Park is named after the skater.[41]
Her first major honour came in the form of theLou Marsh Trophy as Canada's Top Athlete of the Year in 1945, which she subsequently won in both 1947 and 1948.[42]
| Event | 1941 | 1942 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 1st | ||||||
| World Championships | 1st | 1st | |||||
| European Championships | 1st[43] | 1st | |||||
| North American Championships | 6th[44] | 1st | 1st | ||||
| Canadian Championships | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Year | Title | Role | Topic[45] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Johnny at the Fair (Short film) | Herself | A boy is separated from his mother and father and meets celebrities on his journey. - This short film was later featured in a Season 4 episode ofMystery Science Theater 3000. |
| 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 | HollywoodIce 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 |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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