Jack Purcell
Encyclopedia
John Edward "Jack" Purcell (December 24, 1903 – June 10, 1991) was a Canadian world champion badminton
player. Purcell was the Canadian National Badminton Champion
in 1929 and 1930, and declared the world champion in 1933. He retired in 1945, and pursued a career as a stock broker
. Purcell also designed an athletic shoe
that bears his name, which is still popular today.
, Ontario
, Purcell excelled at tennis
and golf
as a child. He took up badminton in 1924, and rose quickly in Ontario's amateur ranks. Purcell won five consecutive Ontario championships from 1927 to 1931, and was the Canadian National Badminton Champion
in 1929 and 1930. Purcell became the leading badminton player in Canada, which led him to write a badminton column for the Toronto Star
. In 1931, Purcell traveled to England
, having beaten all his competitors in Canada. There, he won the Surrey Doubles but got only as far as the semi-finals in the All-England Championships
.
. The Canadian Badminton Association claimed that his Toronto Star articles made him a paid professional
. As a professional badminton player, however, Purcell beat all the leading players in the world by 1932. He was declared world champion in 1933 based on his beating the top Canadian, American and British badminton players. His world championship status was challenged numerous times, but Purcell remained unbeaten until his retirement in 1945.
. At the time of his induction badminton was still not an Olympic sport. In 1955, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
.
Outside of sports, Purcell was a stockbroker and a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange
. He died in Toronto
in 1991 at age 87. The Jack Purcell Community Centre, located in Ottawa
(Ontario) was named after him.
and rubber
badminton sneaker
for the B.F. Goodrich Company of Canada in 1935. He designed the shoe to provide more protection and support on badminton courts. In the 1970s, Converse purchased the trademark rights
to Jack Purcell sneakers - which it still produces and sells today. The shoe, which is similar in appearance to Converse's Chuck Taylor All-Stars, can be distinguished by the signature "smile" across the toe. Converse "Jack Purcells" are still popular - but more for their vintage fashion
appeal than for athletic use.
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
player. Purcell was the Canadian National Badminton Champion
Canadian National Badminton Championships
The Canadian National Badminton Championships is a tournament organized to crown the best badminton players in Canada.The tournament started in 1922. In 1957 the Canadian Badminton Federation decided to open the championships and they were combined with the Canadian Open until 1961...
in 1929 and 1930, and declared the world champion in 1933. He retired in 1945, and pursued a career as a stock broker
Stock broker
A stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors...
. Purcell also designed an athletic shoe
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
that bears his name, which is still popular today.
Early years
Born in GuelphGuelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Purcell excelled at tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
as a child. He took up badminton in 1924, and rose quickly in Ontario's amateur ranks. Purcell won five consecutive Ontario championships from 1927 to 1931, and was the Canadian National Badminton Champion
Canadian National Badminton Championships
The Canadian National Badminton Championships is a tournament organized to crown the best badminton players in Canada.The tournament started in 1922. In 1957 the Canadian Badminton Federation decided to open the championships and they were combined with the Canadian Open until 1961...
in 1929 and 1930. Purcell became the leading badminton player in Canada, which led him to write a badminton column for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
. In 1931, Purcell traveled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, having beaten all his competitors in Canada. There, he won the Surrey Doubles but got only as far as the semi-finals in the All-England Championships
All England Open Badminton Championships
The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...
.
World badminton champion
After his trip to England, Purcell returned to Canada only to learn that he was stripped of his amateur statusAmateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
. The Canadian Badminton Association claimed that his Toronto Star articles made him a paid professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
. As a professional badminton player, however, Purcell beat all the leading players in the world by 1932. He was declared world champion in 1933 based on his beating the top Canadian, American and British badminton players. His world championship status was challenged numerous times, but Purcell remained unbeaten until his retirement in 1945.
Retirement and later years
In 1950, the Canadian Press named Purcell as Canada’s Outstanding Athlete of the 20th Century in the miscellaneous sports category. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1973 despite having never played in the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. At the time of his induction badminton was still not an Olympic sport. In 1955, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
.
Outside of sports, Purcell was a stockbroker and a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world by market capitalisation. Based in Canada's largest city, Toronto, it is owned by and operated as a subsidiary of the TMX Group for the trading of senior equities...
. He died in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1991 at age 87. The Jack Purcell Community Centre, located in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(Ontario) was named after him.
Shoes
Purcell designed a canvasCanvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
badminton sneaker
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
for the B.F. Goodrich Company of Canada in 1935. He designed the shoe to provide more protection and support on badminton courts. In the 1970s, Converse purchased the trademark rights
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
to Jack Purcell sneakers - which it still produces and sells today. The shoe, which is similar in appearance to Converse's Chuck Taylor All-Stars, can be distinguished by the signature "smile" across the toe. Converse "Jack Purcells" are still popular - but more for their vintage fashion
Vintage clothing
Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g...
appeal than for athletic use.