Basil O'Meara

Basil O'Meara
Basil O'Meara
Born	June 5, 1892; Ontario, Canada
Died	October 25, 1971 (aged 79); Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	journalist
Years active	1910 – c. 1968
Employer	Montreal Star
Awards	Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award (1984)

Basil Edmund "Baz" O'Meara (June 5, 1892 – October 25, 1971), was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for the Montreal Star, he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984 and is a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1979, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.^[1]^[2]

O'Meara began his career at the Ottawa Free Press in 1910.^[3] He was the sports editor of the Ottawa Journal during the 1920s, and mentored his successor Bill Westwick.^[4]^[5] He joined the Star in 1929 and retired at the age of 76 around 1968. Although controversy exists over this claim, he was widely credited with nicknaming Maurice Richard "Rocket".^[3]

O'Meara died on October 25, 1971 in a Montreal hospital at age 79. He had entered the facility roughly one week before, after suffering a heart attack, and never regained consciousness.^[6]

References

^ "Basil O'Meara". Canadian Football Hall of Fame. cfhof.ca. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
^ "Legends of Hockey - Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award Winners". hhof.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b Sports writer covered action for 50 years Meara, Baz O. The Globe and Mail (1936-Current); Oct 26, 1971; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Globe and Mail. pg. 37
^ Campbell, Don (June 20, 1990). "Former Journal sports editor dead at 82". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. p. 19.
^ Lake, Stuart (August 30, 1973). "After 47 years, Bill Westwick writes his final 30". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. p. 27.
^ "Baz O'Meara Dies". The Montreal Gazette. October 26, 1971. p. 21. Retrieved February 16, 2024.