Harry enjoyed a prolific world-class career in cricket, rugby, and track, but is perhaps best known as the ‘Father of Canadian Field Hockey’ for his role in establishing the national men’s and women’s field hockey associations. He was presented with the Order of Canada in 1972, the Order of Merit from the International Field Hockey Federation in 1977, and the Distinguished Pioneer Award from the City of Vancouver in 1986.
An active cricket, field hockey, and rugby player, while attending Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Warren was awarded his “colours” for rugby.
Warren won the BC sprint championship in 1926 over the 100 yards,220 yards, and 440 yards. He won the 220 yards at the 1920 British Games in London. His greatest athletic achievement was winning the 100 meters at the 1928 Tailteann Games in Dublin, just after the 1928 Olympics, setting an Irish record.
Warren organized and played on UBC’s first field hockey team in 1923. As a Commonwealth Fund Fellow at the California Institute of Technology, he introduced badminton, cricket, rugby and men’s field hockey to southern California.
Warren served as president of the Vancouver Mainland Field Hockey League during the 1940s. In 1956, he was instrumental in sending Canada’s first women’s field hockey team to the International Federation World Tournament in Australia. It is worth noting that all team members were from BC.
Warren served as honourary president of both the Vancouver (1959) and the Canadian (1963) Women’s Field Hockey Association during his career. He was the founding president of the Canadian Field Hockey Association in 1961. He was also responsible for having the newly-formed CFHA accepted by both the International Hockey Federation and the Canadian Olympic Association. Under his direction the first Canadian field hockey team was sent to the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Warren is also inducted in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. For his UBC biography, please visit www.ubcsportshalloffame.com