Irene (Dumais) Fagan
Sport: Track & Field
Year Inducted: 1974-5
Irene Dumais Fagan was one of the most talented female all-around athletes ever produced in Cornwall. She excelled in field events – high jump and broad jump. Her performance, particularly in the high jump led her to setting, at the age of 14, the World’s Record of four feet six inches and this was in the days of the scissor style jump before the advent of the Western roll and the Fosbury flop.
Irene also came within six inches of reacing the Junior World’s Record in the broad jump. These feats are recorded in the sports column of the Montreal Star, written by Myrtle Cook, the famous Canadian Olympic Star.
Her long line of success in these events included EOSSA victories under Cornwall Collegiate colours, in Cornwall (1930) Ottawa (1931), and Kingston (1932) and in several open track and field meets throughout Eastern Ontario. She was also the high aggregate winner at Cornwall Collegiate both as a junior and senior.
Irene’s athletic life included being a leading performer with Cornwall Collegiate basketball teams, being a fine softball player, and being the first player to win a Cornwall singles badminton Championship.
As Sergant Fagan, during World War II, with the RCAF, she won the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles badminton Championships of the RCAF Station where she was posted.