Rose Kohn
Multisport Builder - Inducted 1970
Rose Kohn promoted juvenile sports in Calgary for over 20 years. She began by helping to organize the Victoria Community Club and went on to work with children in hockey, basketball, and any other sport they were interested in. She was Secretary for the Calgary Community Club, President of the Sportswomen's Association, and active in the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association. She was honoured with a Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Award and a Sportswoman of the Year Award in 1954. The Rose Kohn Arena in Calgary is named in her honour.
After Induction
At the time of her involvement with sports, it is believed that Rose was the only woman in Canada to become an executive member of a provincial hockey association. For eight years, she was the vice president of the Calgary and District Fastball Association, and for ten years was the central district organizer and vice president of the Alberta Fastball Association.
Much of her involvement with sports was with recreation programs for boys. Rose always wanted to do more for girls - this resulted in her being one of the movers in establishing the CalAlta Figure Skating organization - where both boys and girls could be involved. She also hoped to establish basketball and hockey teams for girls.
With Rose in failing health and prior to her death in 1967, her son Ron took in the registration of about 256 Calgary Minor hockey teams, something that Rose had done for years. The City of Calgary Parks and Recreation Department then took over this work and also the scheduling of games, resulting in hiring a number of full- time workers to do the work that Rose and her family had voluntarily done for years.
Community involvement
- Vice President of the Alberta Council of Child and Family Welfare
- an organizer of the Calgary Sports Women's Association
- Board of Directors for Girls Town
- worked with boards concerned with cancer, heart, and stroke problems
Honours
1954 - Calgary Booster Club Sportsman of the Year
1970 - Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
Other - Rose Kohn (Memorial) Arena
Other - many sport and community association awards
