William Foran
Encyclopedia
William Michael Foran was an ice hockey
executive, Stanley Cup
trustee and government official. For over 50 years, he was secretary of the Board of Civil Service Examiners and its follow-up organization, the Civil Service Commission of the Government of Canada
.
In 1915 he was elected vice-president of the Civil Service Assembly of the United States and Canada, and in the following year became its president. The Assembly during those years served as a medium for the spread of ideas of civil service reform and scientific management. He was secretary of the CSC until 1939, when he retired.
hockey club and the Federal Amateur Hockey League
when he was named Stanley Cup
trustee on May 6, 1907. He succeeded John Sweetland who had served as trustee from the trophy's commissioning in 1893. He served as trustee for the Stanley Cup until his death on November 30, 1945. In 1929, he became president of the Ottawa Senators
.
and the Kenora Thistles
. The Thistles had won the Cup from the Wanderers in a January challenge. The Wanderers would win their league and intended to challenge Kenora for the Cup. As the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA) season was over, two players from Ottawa, Rat Westwick
and Alf Smith
were signed by Kenora, and used in the final playoff for the Manitoba Pro Hockey League. Mr. Foran ruled that both players were ineligible for play in the challenge against Montreal. The series went ahead anyway, with Mr. Foran threatening to take back the Cup, but rescinded his threat as Montreal won the series "under protest."
In 1914, the Toronto Blueshirts
won the National Hockey Association
(NHA) title. The team played the Victoria Aristocrats, champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
(PCHA) in a best-of-five series. Victoria had not submitted a formal challenge to the Stanley Cup trustees and Mr. Foran and P. D. Ross ruled that the series would not decide the Stanley Cup. The misunderstanding was cleared up and the series was deemed official. In the off-season, the trustees notified the NHL and the PCHA that the trustees would accept whatever arrangements the two leagues would organize. This led to an annual finals series between each league's champions to decide the Stanley Cup. From that point on, the NHL and PCHA, and later the WCHL would decide the format of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In 1915, Mr. Foran and Mr. Ross ruled that the Cup had become synonymous with the "World's Championship" of ice hockey, and that American teams would be eligible to play for the Stanley Cup. This changed the initial conditions that Lord Stanley himself put down, stating that the Cup was for the Canadian championship.
In 1931, Mr. Foran became involved in a challenge made by the American Hockey League (AHL) to play the National Hockey League (NHL) champion. He accepted the challenge, but the NHL refused to play the challenge. President Calder of the NHL rejected the challenge, stating that the AHL was a "rogue" league. The AHL would later agree to become a minor league, affiliated with the NHL. Mr. Foran would be fired from the presidency of the Ottawa Senators over this dispute.
By 1941, Foran had been named and served as trustee of the O'Brien Cup, Prince of Wales Trophy
, Lady Byng Trophy as well as several other trophies.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
executive, Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
trustee and government official. For over 50 years, he was secretary of the Board of Civil Service Examiners and its follow-up organization, the Civil Service Commission of the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
.
Government career
Mr. Foran served as the secretary for the Board of Civil Service Examiners for the Government of Canada from 1896 to 1908. In 1908 the Board was re-organized and Mr. Foran was the founding secretary of the Civil Service Commission, (CSC) the branch of government in charge of civil service appointments through competitive examinations. He served for over 30 years in the post, and was responsible for negotiations between the CSC and parliament over civil service reform in the Civil Service Act of 1918.In 1915 he was elected vice-president of the Civil Service Assembly of the United States and Canada, and in the following year became its president. The Assembly during those years served as a medium for the spread of ideas of civil service reform and scientific management. He was secretary of the CSC until 1939, when he retired.
Ice Hockey career
He was the president of the Ottawa CapitalsOttawa Capitals
The Ottawa Capitals were an early amateur senior men's ice hockey club playing in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from the 1890s until 1920. The club would challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1897, but abandon its challenge after one game, after it lost 15–2. It would later precipitate the breakup of the...
hockey club and the Federal Amateur Hockey League
Federal Amateur Hockey League
The Federal Amateur Hockey League was a Canadian men's senior-level ice hockey league that played six seasons from 1904 to 1909. The league was formed initially to provide a league for teams not accepted by the rival Canadian Amateur Hockey League . One team, the Montreal Le National, was the first...
when he was named Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
trustee on May 6, 1907. He succeeded John Sweetland who had served as trustee from the trophy's commissioning in 1893. He served as trustee for the Stanley Cup until his death on November 30, 1945. In 1929, he became president of the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
.
Notable trustee activities
In 1907, while acting trustee for P. D. Ross and John Sweetland, Mr. Foran became involved in the challenge series between the Montreal WanderersMontreal Wanderers
The Montreal Wanderers were a Canadian amateur, and later becoming a professional men's ice hockey team. The team played in the Federal Amateur Hockey League , the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association , the National Hockey Association and briefly the National Hockey League . The Wanderers are...
and the Kenora Thistles
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
. The Thistles had won the Cup from the Wanderers in a January challenge. The Wanderers would win their league and intended to challenge Kenora for the Cup. As the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA) season was over, two players from Ottawa, Rat Westwick
Rat Westwick
Harry "Rat" Westwick was a Canadian athlete in ice hockey and lacrosse. Westwick, nicknamed the Rat by a journalist, is most noted for his play with the Ottawa Hockey Club, nicknamed the Silver Seven during his day which won and defended the Stanley Cup from 1903 until 1906...
and Alf Smith
Alf Smith
Alfred Edward Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators, and Kenora Thistles. He had two brothers who played senior-level hockey Harry Smith and Tommy Smith...
were signed by Kenora, and used in the final playoff for the Manitoba Pro Hockey League. Mr. Foran ruled that both players were ineligible for play in the challenge against Montreal. The series went ahead anyway, with Mr. Foran threatening to take back the Cup, but rescinded his threat as Montreal won the series "under protest."
In 1914, the Toronto Blueshirts
Toronto Blueshirts
The Toronto Hockey Club, known as the Torontos and the Toronto Blue Shirts were a professional National Hockey Association team that played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
won the National Hockey Association
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor organization to today's National Hockey League...
(NHA) title. The team played the Victoria Aristocrats, champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association
Pacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
(PCHA) in a best-of-five series. Victoria had not submitted a formal challenge to the Stanley Cup trustees and Mr. Foran and P. D. Ross ruled that the series would not decide the Stanley Cup. The misunderstanding was cleared up and the series was deemed official. In the off-season, the trustees notified the NHL and the PCHA that the trustees would accept whatever arrangements the two leagues would organize. This led to an annual finals series between each league's champions to decide the Stanley Cup. From that point on, the NHL and PCHA, and later the WCHL would decide the format of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In 1915, Mr. Foran and Mr. Ross ruled that the Cup had become synonymous with the "World's Championship" of ice hockey, and that American teams would be eligible to play for the Stanley Cup. This changed the initial conditions that Lord Stanley himself put down, stating that the Cup was for the Canadian championship.
In 1931, Mr. Foran became involved in a challenge made by the American Hockey League (AHL) to play the National Hockey League (NHL) champion. He accepted the challenge, but the NHL refused to play the challenge. President Calder of the NHL rejected the challenge, stating that the AHL was a "rogue" league. The AHL would later agree to become a minor league, affiliated with the NHL. Mr. Foran would be fired from the presidency of the Ottawa Senators over this dispute.
By 1941, Foran had been named and served as trustee of the O'Brien Cup, Prince of Wales Trophy
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
, Lady Byng Trophy as well as several other trophies.