Glynn Leyshon
Series I: Wrestling Tournaments: Information, Reports, and Programs
Series II: Wrestling Associations: Correspondences, Reports, Information, and Policies
Series III: Wrestling Photographs
Series IV: Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association
Series VI: Olympic Game Materials
Series VII: Personal Correspondence and Files of Student Wrestlers - Restricted
Series VIII: Research Papers, and Speeches
Series IX: Pamphlets, Newsletters, and Printed Ephemera
Dates of Creation: 1950-1989 (bulk 1970-1989).
Physical Description: 141.5 cm. of textual records 46 (8 x 10 cm.) photographic prints, of which 41 are black and white, and 5 are colour.
Dr. Glynn Arthur Leyshon was born in Hamilton, Ontario on August 2, 1929 to Welsh immigrant parents. His father was a labourer in a steel plant, who only received a grade eight education but was well-read. His mother did not finish elementary school. Leyshon took seven years to complete high school, but he did go on to university. He was the first university graduate in his family, beginning his academic career at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in 1950, which opened up many opportunities for him athletically and academically. After injuring his knee playing football, he tried wrestling, eventually winning the CIAU Wrestling Championship in 1952. In 1954, he graduated from UWO with his Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education. The years of 1954-1955, saw him at teachers' college in Toronto, enrolled at the Ontario College of Education. He subsequently taught high school physical education and English for ten years in London, Scarborough, and Thunder Bay.
Leyshon later earned his Master's degree in Physical Education at the University of Illinois, at Urbana- Champaign, completing it in 1958. That same year he married Judith Iris Milligan, with whom he had four children. In 1965, he accepted a position at the University of Western Ontario as assistant football coach and head wrestling coach for the UWO Mustangs, and began developing core courses for the Department of Physical Education. Later, he took anatomy classes, which led to a joint position with the medical school, where he taught the subject to physical education students.
Professor Leyshon worked on his doctorate from 1969-71, earning his Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Oregon, at Eugene. His thesis was called The Effect of Exercise on Skeletal Growth of Pubescent White Rats. Leyshon was later made a full, tenured professor. He also contributed to the university community by becoming Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology for the years of 1975-1982; was head wrestling coach at Western from 1964-1980; and CAWA national wrestling coach from 1966 through to 1979.
The 1976 Olympics represented one of Dr. Leyshon's career high points because he was coaching five of the ten athletes on the Canadian team. Unfortunately, he was unable to accept the position as coach of the 1976 Olympic team because his decision could not be made quick enough for the committee as he was still teaching and needed to obtain a leave of absence. Instead, he served as one of the wrestling moderators for the television broadcast of the Olympics. The 1980 Olympics was a different story, and he was able to accept the position as head coach for the Canadian team. That was the year that Canada and sixty-four other nations boycotted the Games in Moscow over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. After this great disappointment, Leyshon decided to no longer coach wrestling.
Dr. Leyshon has been inducted into several Halls and Walls of Wrestling Fame. He has written a number of books, including The History of Wrestling in Canada (1984), and a comprehensive history of Canadian judo, entitled Judoka. He has also been an integral member of the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association and served on many of its committees. Leyshon's contributions to the academic and athletic communities of UWO are considerable, and his donation of six boxes of working papers to the J.J. Talman Regional Archives will undoubtedly prove invaluable to future generations, giving insight into the world of Canadian wrestling. Research possibilities include an historical compilation of the University of Western Ontario's physical education department; a history of Canadian amateur wrestling; sports fiction; and a rare opportunity for journalists to profile the life of a very dedicated professor, who was heavily involved in the making of Canada's wrestling program.
Currently (2011), he is involved in writing sports fiction, and continues to teach courses part-time at the University of Western Ontario as Prof. Emeritus in the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Kinesiology.
This biography is based on information obtained from Dr. Glynn Leyshon's curriculum vitae, and from a ninety minute interview conducted with him at the Regional Archives, UWO.
Six boxes make up the Leyshon Fonds. Four of them have no accession date, so there is no way of knowing when they arrived at the Regional Archives. The archive has no record of the date they were donated. The remaining two boxes were given to the Regional Collection on November 11, 1988. Prior to the materials being donated to the archives at the University of Western Ontario, they were housed in filing cabinets in Dr. Glynn Leyshon's office at the university.
The Fonds contains the working papers, administrative records, and correspondence of Dr. Glynn Leyshon, writer, wrestling coach, and professor of Physical Education and Kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario. Approximately half the fonds consists of materials related to Dr. Leyshon's long affiliation with the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association. These papers span his entire career, beginning with the years he taught high school in Ontario. He was already coaching wrestling. The papers are an amazing testimony to a dedicated teacher, who helped to put Canada on the wrestling map. The dates of creation are 1950-1989 (bulk 1970-1989).
Series I: Wrestling Tournaments: Information, Reports, and Programs
Series II: Wrestling Associations: Correspondence, Reports, Information, and Policies
Series III: Wrestling Photographs
Series IV: Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association
Series V: University of Western Ontario Wrestling Department: Coaches, Coaching, Clinics, and Details of Daily Operations
Series VI: Olympic Game Materials
Series VII: Personal Correspondence and Files of Student Wrestlers - Restricted*
Series VIII: Research Papers and Speeches
Series IX: Pamphlets, Newsletters, and Printed Ephemera
*Restrictions on Access: The personal files of students and the correspondence between them and their coaches are restricted due to the intimate and delicate nature of the materials found in the series. Access to the personal files of athletes cannot be given without the written consent of the parties involved.
Additional Notes
Dates of Creation: 1950-1989
Physical Description: 13.5 cm. of textual records
Series contains information concerning a large number of wrestling tournaments, many of which the UWO wrestling teams participated in over the years that Dr. Leyshon coached. Besides the initial planning for these tournaments, there are also lists of the wrestlers who participated, notes on their competitors, and, of course, the results of the meets. Many of the programs are found in the series.
Subseries A: International Tournaments
Contents: Subseries A contains materials on wrestling tournaments from Europe, Asia, Mexico, and numerous places in the United States.
Subseries B: National Tournaments
Contents: Subseries B contains materials on wrestling tournaments from all over Canada.
Subseries C: Provincial Tournaments
Contents: Subseries C contains materials on wrestling tournaments from all over Ontario.
Dates of Creation: 1960-1989
Physical Description: 15.5 cm. of textual records
Series contains an array of information on a number of wrestling associations, primarily Canadian ones, which have been in contact with Dr. Leyshon over a period of years. They have corresponded about upcoming tournaments, their policies, and any information that could prove useful to those interested in the sport of wrestling. Reports on wrestling meets, and the outcome of championship trials are also included.
Subseries A: London Amateur Wrestling and Athletic Club
Contents: Subseries A contains information on the L.A.W.A.C., incorporating the minutes of meetings, financial holdings, and copies of its correspondences with Glynn Leyshon.
Subseries B: Ontario University Athletic Association
Contents: Subseries B contains information on the O.U.A.A., incorporating the minutes of meetings, reports on meets, and copies of its correspondence with Glynn Leyshon.
Subseries C: Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association
Content: Subseries C contains information on the O.F.S.A.A., incorporating the minutes of meetings, their charter and general rules, and copies of its correspondence with Glynn Leyshon.
Subseries D: Ontario Quebec Athletic Association
Contents: Subseries D contains information on the O.Q.A.A., incorporating the minutes of meetings, results of wrestling tournaments, its program at McGill University, brochures, and copies of its correspondence with Glynn Leyshon.
Subseries E: Other Wrestling Associations
Contents: Subseries E contains information on a number of other international and national amateur wrestling associations, such as the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union, the Federation de Lutte Olympique du Quebec, and the Ontario Wrestling Federation.
Dates of Creation: 1950-1978
Physical Description: 46 (8 x 10 cm.) photographic prints, of which 41 are black and white, and 5 are colour.
Series contains a number of wrestling team photographs, which are listed below:
1. One black and white photo of Intercollegiate Wrestling Team of 1950.
2. One black and white photo of the UWO wrestling team of 1956-61.
3. One black and white photo of Intercollegiate Wrestling Team of 1966.
4. One colour photo of the team dated January 1966.
5. One black and white photo of the UWO team of 1966-67.
6. Five black and white photos from the First Canadian Winter Games, dated November 20, 1967.
7. Two black and white photos of the UWO wrestling team of 1968.
8. One colour photo of two wrestlers in motion, dated 1968-69.
9. One black and white photo of the UWO OQAA Wrestling Co-Championships of 1970-71.
10. One black and white photo of the UWO Mustangs, dated 1971-72.
11. Four black and white photos of the wrestling team of 1972-73.
12. Seven black and white photos of the UWO wrestling team of 1973-74.
13. Twelve black and white photos of the 1974-75 wrestling team from UWO.
14. One colour photo of the 1974-75 team.
15. One black and white photo of the UWO Mustangs of 1975-76.
16. Three black and white photos of the 1977-78 UWO wrestling team.
17. Two colour photos of the 1977-78 wrestling team.
18. One black and white photo of punching bag.
Dates of Creation: 1967-1988
Physical Description: 50 cm. of textual records
Series contains a wealth of information about the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Federation and its association with university wrestling programs, such as the one overseen by Dr. Leyshon and his staff. It is obvious that the C.A.W.A. plays an integral role in the development of Canadian wrestlers and coaches.
Subseries A: Correspondence, Technical Bulletins, Position Statements, and Policies
Contents: Subseries A contains letters to Dr. Leyshon, primarily from Bob Price, Technical Director of the C.A.W.A., keeping him abreast of the latest developments, meets, tactical exercises, and political appointments.
Subseries B: Minutes of Meetings, Constitution, and Bylaws
Contents: Subseries B contains an overview of the C.A.W.A. policies concerning wrestlers, their coaches, and training centers, as well as its platform and mandate.
Subseries C: Financial Records
Contents: Subseries C contains copies of account receipts, business records, treasurers' reports, and auditors' statements.
Dates of Creation: 1964-1989
Physical Description: 10 cm. of textual records
Series contains the working papers from the Department of Physical Education at UWO, and primarily, those of Dr. Glynn Leyshon. They describe the many coaches who worked there through the years, the courses they taught, and outline the processes they used to coach the young student wrestlers they came to know. In addition, there are details of wrestling clinics that were organized by the department, and financial information related to the purchase of sports equipment and transportation costs connected to travelling to a number of different countries for wrestling tournaments.
Dates of Creation: 1971-1988
Physical Description: 6.5 cm. of textual records
Series contains information about the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany, including the C.A.W.A. Championships, and the Olympic trials for the senior and junior freestyle categories. The 1976 Games held in Montreal are well documented, with records of student meets and the results of Phase I of the Olympic Trials in Thunder Bay in May 1976. These materials provide a list of wrestlers and their weight ranges. In addition, a list of names for the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association proposed wrestlers for the 1980 Olympic Trials, as well as a record of the 1980 trials that were held at Alumni Hall at the University of Western Ontario, June 15, 1980. Rounding out the series is correspondence on the 1984 Olympic Games, and the University of Western Ontario wrestling coach, Mario Saletnig, who was appointed head coach for the Canadian team. Finally, there is information on the Quadrennial Olympic Planning Program for the 1984 (held in Los Angeles), and the 1988 Seoul Games. Some academic insights into the Olympic Games have been chronicled in the form of academic papers, including one by team leader Frank Corning, entitled Report, Ramblings, Ruminations, and Reflections on the 1984 Olympic Games.
Dates of Creation: 1964-1987
Physical Description: 30 cm. of textual records
Series contains a highly analytical compilation of the personal habits and health of wrestling students attending the University of Western Ontario over a period of more than two decades. The nature of some materials is controversial and could be embarrassing to those who are mentioned. It is therefore recommended that these physical and psychological profiles remain confidential, sealing them for an appropriate length of time. Files also include medical correspondence and the results of physical examinations.
Dates of Creation: 1974-1986
Physical Description: 5 cm. of textual records
Series contains a wide range of research papers written by a number of professors and students from the University of Western Ontario's Physical Education Department. Included are papers entitled, The Effects of Dehydration as a Weight Loss Strategy in Wrestlers and The Psychological Factors to Consider in the Sport of Wrestling. Both were written by Joseph Mrkoi, a wrestling coach at the University of Western of Ontario. Speeches, and notes for commentaries written by Dr. Glynn Leyshon are also included in the series.
Dates of Creation: 1954-1988
Physical Description: 11 cm. of textual records
Series contains quite a large number of pamphlets from a variety of international, national, and provincial wrestling tournaments. These are separate from those assembled in series number one with their respective tournaments, and include such items as a 1975 brochure on the Canadian College Wrestling Championships held February 29-March 1, 1975. A wide range of newsletters and printed ephemera, with an assortment of scoring sheets, maps of university campuses, travel brochures, postcards, and some broadsides, are also included. Additionally, there are a number of newspaper articles, primarily from the London Free Press, Campus News, and The Gazette, dated 1970-1978.
Related Papers
Bibliographic Control for Archival Materials