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The City of Edmonton Heritage Collection has received donations that help to tell the story of the Edmonton Grads, including uniforms and other memorabilia. Here are some artifacts that highlight some of the women who played on the team.
Jump to: Uniform Evolution | Ethel Anderson | Daisy Johnson | Dot Johnson | Mabel Munton | Sophie Brown | Etta Dann | Betty Bawden
The uniforms that the Edmonton Grads wore to play basketball evolved over time, from large middy blouses and bloomers in their first years, to the sleeveless shirts and shorts that don’t look much different from a women’s basketball uniform today.
The Edmonton Grads Uniforms in 1923-24 [1980-16-11]
The Grads in 1939-40 [1980-16-29]
Daisy Johnson, who played from 1920–1927, reminisced about the uniform: “We had to wear bands to keep back our hair — it was not until about 1926 that short hair came in. Oh, and those bloomers we wore. They had elastic just above the knee, but there was a lot of material in them and they hung down over the tops of our knee-socks. Then we had sailor-style middy tops and they were quite loose too.
But we liked the uniform. When they got shorts for us to wear, we were really shocked. We had not been used to showing ourselves like that in front of people.” (Edmonton Journal, June 28, 1968, pg. 17)
Edmonton Commercials Middy Blouse, rayon-blend, 1914–15 [1965-81-1]
Ethel Anderson in 1915 [1980-16-87]
This middy-style blouse was worn by Ethel Anderson when she was a player on the Edmonton Commercials high school basketball team. This team transformed into the Edmonton Commercial Graduates, which Ethel played centre on from 1915–17. Ethel is known as one of the six “original Grads,” but she is not part of the “official” 38 Grads, who are recognized as the members of the team from the 1922 Dominion Championship team to the 1940 team disbanding.
Ethel was also a vice-president and president of the Northern Alberta Pioneer and Old Timer’s Association (present Northern Alberta Pioneer and Descendants Association), whose collection became one of the foundations of the City of Edmonton Heritage Collection.
Daisy Johnson’s shirt, wool, 1925–27 [1980-16-175]
Daisy Johnson’s sweater, wool, 1924 [1980-16-200]
Daisy Johnson [1980-16-77]
Daisy Johnson played left forward from 1920–1927, and was a part of the team’s early successes.
Daisy was the unofficial Grad historian and collected scrapbooks, uniforms and other memorabilia with the hopes to one day donate them to archives and museums.
When asked about her time with the Grads, Daisy recalled: “We practiced really hard. [ . . . ] I think the teamwork was our most important asset.” (Edmonton Journal, June 28, 1968).
Socks, wool and cotton, 1920s [1980-16-173AB]
Dot Johnson Player Card [1980-16-156]
These are the kind of socks that the Grads wore in the 1920s. Dorothy “Dot” Johnson, who played from 1921–1927, is wearing a pair in the player card.
Dot was a committed player, as was seen in a 1926 game against the Chicago Tri-Chis, when she fell and her knee came out of joint. Don Maxwell of the Chicago Tribune reported the event: “The crowd waited for the stretcher bearers. She lay on the floor and waited to have the leg jerked back in place. And jerked it was. Sister players held her shoulders and the good leg flat on the floor while another sister pulled and pushed at the leg that was awry. A husky football player might have called for an anesthetic. Dorothy called for time out. The leg finally cracked into joint and Dorothy hobbled back into play.“ (April 5, 1926). The Grads also won the game.
Mabel Munton’s shirt, wool blend, 1930s [1965-81-2]
Mabel Munton [1980-16-194C]
Mabel Munton played guard from 1933–1940.
Despite suffering three broken ribs, a lung injury and lacerations after being hit by a truck in 1934, Mabel recovered and had a long and successful time playing with the Grads. As the Edmonton Journal reported: “[ . . . ] Mabel Munton rates with the team's great guards.” (Thursday, October 5, 1939, page 6). Although generally players retired when they married, Mabel married in September 1939 and when her marriage was revealed a few weeks later, she continued to play with the team under her married name.
Sophie Brown [1980-16-16]
Sophie Brown wore this uniform during the Edmonton Grads 1936 European tour. It was on this tour that the Grads were allowed to wear the official Team Canada Olympic jacket and given team privileges, even though they were playing exhibition games and not officially part of the Olympic Games. The Grads would sometimes wear their red/white touring uniforms at home games when their regular yellow and black uniforms were too similar to the visiting team.
Sophie played from 1935–1940, first as a guard and then later as a forward. Along with fellow teammates Etta Dann and Helen Northrup, she was also a softball player with the Muttart Lumber Pats, also a championship-winning team.
Sophie Brown’s shirt, wool blend, 1936 [1980-16-177]
Sweater, wool blend, 1939–40 [1980-16-201]
Etta Dann [1980-16-194D]
This sweater was worn by Grads players around 1939–1940. The logo CGC stands for “Commercial Graduates Club.”
Etta Dann was one such player, she played guard and then later center. At 5’4,” Etta was considered one of the short players, but she was known for making a lot of baskets. Etta was the team captain in the Grads’ final season.
Etta was “Certain to be rated one of the greatest players ever to wear a Commercial Grads uniform [ . . . ] She is one of the most popular girls to ever play for the Grads.” (Edmonton Journal, Thursday, Oct. 5, 1939: page 6). Etta was also singled out by Percy Page for being an exceptional player and was named by him as one of the five best players of the team.
Betty Bawden, 1940 [1980-16-29]
It’s thanks to the efforts of Betty Bawden that the The City of Edmonton Heritage Collection has so many artifacts from the Edmonton Grads.
After Daisy Johnson died in 1979, Betty took over as the team’s unofficial historian. She helped organize Grads reunion events and represented the Grads at public events.
Betty was the final player to become a member of the team and only played with the Grads in their last season, 1939–1940. This earned her the nickname, the “baby Grad.” In the last game they played, she was able to achieve her personal goal of scoring 2 points in the game.
Mabel Munton’s shirt, wool blend, 1939–40 [1980-16-176]