Was the star of UBC women's basketball during the late '40s. Played 14 years with Vancouver Eilers basketball teams, winning the Canadian championship 9 times. Played for Canada's team at Pan Ams and World Championships in '55, '59 and '63.
Occasionally some of the outstanding athletes of UBC's past are "illuminated" or "showcased" for our present day audience with the help of word of mouth or by the endorsements of their peers. The reason for this is that during their time there was little media coverage or documentation of the accomplishments of these people, or their sport. One such example is former UBC star Nora McDermott.
For four years, 1945/46 to 48/49, Nora played and excelled on UBC's basketball team the UBC Thunderettes, a time and sport that didn't receive much publicity. This Ruth Wilson-coached team competed against both Senior ‘A’ and Senior ‘B’ competition and the available documentation shows Nora many times being the team's high scorer, certainly dominating this UBC era scoring wise. She teamed with Mearnie Summers as two "naturals", excellent at jumping and rebounding, leading UBC to the 1946/47 Vancouver Senior 'B' championship. "We just used to idolize those folks" states a former UBC athlete who as a youngster followed the fortunes of these women's teams.
During 1947/48 this "absolutely outstanding athlete" as a former coach described McDermott, teamed with Summers, Doreen Campbell and Jackie Shearman to lead UBC to wins over Western Washington, Whitworth and Everett Junior College in a Washington state tournament. The Blue and Gold also captured the city Senior 'B' championship again this season. Contemporaries described McDermott as "competitive", "a good sport" and "a great person."
While playing basketball, Nora also played on UBC's field hockey team under coach May Brown. In addition to her athletic prowess and her hard but fair play, McDermott impressed coach Brown by the way she could rally her teammates at crucial times. She was able to do this on both the hockey field and basketball court. In addition, Nora's 6 Big Blocks was at the time considered to be among the most ever won by a UBC female athlete.
Before graduating with a BPE in 1949, McDermott was a member of the Women's Athletic Directorate and was honored by being initiated into UBC's honorary Delta Sigma Pi sorority on the basis of the quality of her scholarship, leadership and service. It could be said her athletic ability was matched by her achievements as a student. She was second year Physical Education's top student in 1947 and was the top student of her grad class of 1949.
Following her graduation, Nora very much continued her athletic career. She teamed with other former UBC athletes to form the "Alums" volleyball team and coached by Mary McDonald, helped turn this team into the nation's best, winning Canadian volleyball championships in 1962 and 1964. She also spent 14 glorious years playing for Vancouver's famous Eilers basketball teams where as one of it's stars led this BC Sport Hall of Fame team to nine national championships.
She also played for Canada's representative basketball team at the 1955 Pan-American Games and at the World Championships in Brazil in 1959 and Chicago in 1963. She also served as Canada's team manager in 1967.
Nora professionally was a teacher, teaching at her Alma Mater, John Oliver High School in Vancouver, BC, for 25 years before heading up the Physical Education Dept. at Eric Hamber High School.
In 1996, Nora was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, thereby being one of a very few former UBC players who as individuals have been so honored.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
