A most extraordinary and beloved UBC athlete, died while a student in 1935 at the age of 24. UBC rugby captain and outstanding UBC track man he is fondly remembered through the Bobby Gaul award, the most prestigious of UBC's awards available to male athletes.
In the 1990s, after 60 years, Bobby Gaul's name still evoked spontaneous feelings and recollections from former teammates, friends and fellow students.
"He was a fine athlete and even a finer gentleman, he was liked by everybody. "... Basketball's Cy Lee
"Immensely popular - Hell of a good sport"...Rugby's Ken Mercer
'Tremendous heart that was stronger than his body”...Football's Gavin Dirom
“...his spirit of good sportsmanship has earned him enviable record on the campus. "…Ubyssey 1931
"He was the nicest person anyone could like - a perfect gentleman "...Basketball's Ed Armstong
"Nice person, very popular"...Basketball's Lois Fisher (Tourtellotte)
“...a treasured friend - one of God's gentlemen and a never failing inspiration in general over the years”...Rugby's Allan Estabrook
Bobby was a high school sprint star and teamed with famed Olympian Percy Williams to win many championships in Pacific Northwest competitions.
For several years, starting in 1928, he was a member of the UBC track team and with Harry Warren, held the Varsity record in the 220, a record that endured into the following decade. In 1929 he was UBC's top sprinter, winning the 100-yard dash with a time of 10.6 seconds. This was a wonderful era in UBC track and field history, with the likes of Gaul, Gavin Dirom, Cokie Shields, Thelma Mahon and for a brief time, Percy Williams. Gaul continued to participate in track for as long as his health would allow. Famed track coach Bob Granger said, "Gaul was one of the finest sportsmen a coach could hope to meet."
In addition to being a stellar member of the track team, Gaul was also an outstanding rugby player. In 1928 at the age of 17, he made the UBC Varsity rugby team. He was described as "small, but extremely fast and tricky...a swerve artist." It was said by sports authorities, "he would make the greatest broken-field runner in Canadian football if he ever cared to play the game."
He was into his fourth season with the UBC rugby McKechnie Cup team when he first came down with what was described as "nasal trouble". The Ubyssey stated his loss "weakened the rugby squad considerably."
For almost two years Gaul would be out of action before making a brief comeback in 1933/34, hoping to once again achieve the excellence that established his reputation "of having been one of the most outstanding players developed at UBC", according to the Ubyssey.
The next year, 1934, the four time Big Block Award winner received the honour of being elected Captain of the Rugby team. However the advancing illness was taking it's toll, causing him to be in and out of the lineup.
Just two months into the 1934 season Gaul regretfully announced his retirement as Captain and player from the UBC Rugby Fifteen.
Off the field, Bobby had been president of the Big Block Club and a member of the Men's Athletic Executive. Despite his debilitating health problems, Gaul had worked hard to maintain good grades. He was awarded Geological Engineering's E.M. Dawson Scholarship just prior to his fourth year in 1934.
According to Lois Fisher (Tourtelotte), "he just became ill…we were all very sad...we didn't know as much about such illness at that time."
What Bobby Gaul had was rheumatic fever. An infection creates a rheumatic condition that can spread to and damage the muscles of the heart. "If there were such a thing as antibiotics at that time, this boy's life could have been saved. The effects of this infection could have been controlled." (Nurse of the 1930s). Early in 1935 when it was learned that Bobby was very sick, many students volunteered to give blood transfusions. Unfortunately little could be done for it was just a short time later, just prior to school opening in 1935, that at the age of 24, Bobby Gaul died.
So moved were the students by this person of special qualities, that teammates Ken Mercer, Art Mercer and Howard Cleveland immediately spearheaded the creation of a UBC award bearing Gaul's name - an award to the University athlete who best combines the qualities of leadership and sportsmanship that made Bobby loved by everyone to whom he was known.
Bobby's friend and rugby teammate Allan Estabrook described his special qualities as "his spunk, his leadership, his toughness, his intangibles. In a very few years Bobby Gaul made a greater impact and contribution than many of us have been able to accomplish over a lot of decades."
Legendary UBC educator Dr. Sedgewick wrote: "Bobby was one of those rare and lovely souls in whom one would wish to see no change."
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
