Acadia Amateur Athletic Association

In 1889, Acadia University dissolved its three existing athletic clubs (football, baseball, and cricket) and formed the Acadia Amateur Athletic Association (A.A.A.A.). Its initial mandate stated that it was “to promote an interest in the physical development of the students by means of healthy, vigorous and entertaining games, and to keep in condition a campus well appointed for this purpose” (Acadia Athenaeum, Nov. 1894). J. R. Herbin, the main force behind its formation, was appointed its first president. The A.A.A.A. became “the only Society existing, with the approval of the college authorities for the maintenance of field sports” (Acadia Athenaeum, Dec. 1897). It was also “the one society of Acadia which is recognized by, and has representation in the ‘Maritime Province Football Union’” (Acadia Athenaeum, Feb. 1891). The Association became one of the more important organizations on campus. It was exclusively responsible for the maintenance of campus sports arenas and athletic resources. The grounds and most of the equipment needed for any sport on campus were supplied and sustained by the Association. Among the games controlled by the A.A.A.A. were football, baseball, tennis, hockey and lacrosse, although this varied over time. The members were also responsible for a widely attended annual field day, and occasional receptions held in College Hall. During the first half of the 20th century Acadia University was a member of the Maritime Provinces Branch of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (MPBAAUC). The Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (1909 - 1970) was responsible for maintaining the integrity of amateur sports in Canada and for solving any disputes that arose. It represented most of Canada’s sports organizations; however the Maritime Provinces Branch was not as active as other branches in Canada because the AAUC was controlled primarily by Ontario and Quebec. It has not been determined with certainty when the A.A.A.A. was dissolved, but it was most likely about the 1969/70 school year as it last appears in the Acadia University yearbook in 1968.