History - Percy Page

 
Percy Page was raised at Bronte near Hamilton, Ontario. After attending Hamilton Teachers College he taught at a boy's school in Rothesay, New Brunswick and then in St. Thomas, Ontario. In 1912 he came to Edmonton to teach at McDougall Commercial High School where he was principal for many years.In 1915 he organized a women's basketball team known as the Commercial  Grads. During its 25 years of existence, all the players but two were in fact graduates of McDougall. The team played 522 games with a won lost record of 502-20, a record that must be unequaled in the world of sport.

The Grads won the Canadian Championship in 1922 and the Underwood Trophy for the world championship by beating a team from Cleveland in 1923. They never lost the trophy. Although women's basketball was not an official Olympic game, the Grad's did play in 1924 at Paris, 1928 at Amsterdam, 1932 at Los Angeles and 1936 at Berlin. They were successful every time.

Very often when a challenging team came to Edmonton, both teams were guests at the Rotary Luncheon. This occurred in 1923 when they first won the underwood trophy, and on the great series in 1934 and 1935 against the Tulsa Stenos, and on the occasion of the last game the Grad's played in 1940. That was against a Chicago team coached by an old friend of Mr. Page names Harry Wilson. He brought several teams to Edmonton and came especially to take part in the Grad's farewell game. The Amazing record of the team is a tribute not only to the skill and character of the players but to their coach who was always noted for his gentlemanliness as well as for his tremendous skill in molding new players into a great team. Mrs. Page, who acted as chaperon also played a vital part in the teams history.After the war when the Grads had a reunion every five years, they were on two occasions guests of the Rotary Club -  and nearly all were present at Mr. Pages funeral in Robertson-Wesley United Church in 1973.

For a considerable number of years during the Social Credit regime, Mr. Page was a member of the Legislature, and for a time Leader of the Opposition. He was Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from to 1965.