Wally Mellor, a beloved alumnus, coach, and professor gives a glimpse into what his life at Queen’s looked like as both a student and staff member. Wally’s journey at Queen’s was sparked by his admiration for and success in sports. In 1951, he received an offer of admission at Queen’s alongside a spot on the football team. Little did he know, a little over ten years later he would be returning to Queen’s as a professor in the newly reopened Faculty of Education.
Wally thanks sports and athletics for giving him the opportunity to play football, which ultimately led to him attending Queen’s University. Fresh out of high school, Wally was at a football banquet where he was approached and offered a scholarship to play for the then “Golden Gaels” Football Team at Queen’s University. Wally graciously accepted this offer and started at the university in the fall.
It was here at Queen’s that Wally found his true passion for sports and learning. Wally was always an athletic person, but his athleticism truly revealed itself when he became a multi-sport varsity athlete who would play on both the football and basketball team. In addition to athletics, Wally attributes many life events to his time at Queen’s. Without Queen’s, Wally would have never met the woman he would soon call his wife. The couple met in their early years at Queen’s and went on to build a life together. They got married, started their careers, and had three wonderful children.
Throughout his life before, during, and after Queen’s, Wally had many great role models. These role models were his teachers, coaches, and overall great people. It was through these relationships that Wally realised he enjoyed connecting, sharing, and collaborating with people. After convocation, Wally decided to depart from Queen’s to pursue his desire to become a teacher. After receiving his BEd, Wally went on to teach high school in Ottawa for over ten years. Wally decided to further his education and went on to obtain his master’s in Oregon.
Wally explained that teaching holds a special place in his heart. He talked about teaching high school and the wonderful experiences that followed him. Wally has always been dedicated to his profession and as he continued talking about his students it showed, “I would come into the school before classes started to open the gym and I would stay late to keep it open after class.” Wally added that “most days I would show up at 8am and wouldn’t leave until 6pm.”
When Queen’s reopened its Faculty of Education in 1968, Wally was invited to join the university as an assistant professor. Wally stayed loyal to the university and dedicated over 20 years of service to the faculty. Wally was a beloved member of the faculty, and his commitment did not go unnoticed. He felt the love from his students, other faculty members, and Queen’s staff. Wally reminisced on these times and went on to explain, “Whenever I walked into the building or through the hallways, people always greeted me with a smile and hello.”
Throughout his time teaching at the faculty, he continued to stay connected with sport. At the time, Wally was teaching the Physical and Health Education program which he loved. As a person with a passion for sports, athletics, and teaching, Wally was made for this position. Wally went on to say, “Teaching these kids just came naturally to me, it was easy to demonstrate the activities and sports since I had been doing them for so long.” In keeping with his connection to sport, Wally also dedicated three years of service to the football team. Wally was an assistant coach for three years and humbly pointed out that he even helped coach the team to victory in the Vanier Cup back in 1968.
There is no doubt that Wally is a family man, one who has been so blessed with two. Wally has a beautiful family with three kids, but he also has a family here at Queen’s. Over the years, these two families became intertwined. Both of Wally’s sons attended Queen’s where he was lucky enough to teach them both. As his sons progressed through the program, they started bringing friends and classmates to the Mellor family’s ski lodge. This became a tradition where students and friends of the Mellor family would come up to the lodge and have an amazing time. People enjoyed this so much it even gained the name of “Wally’s Place.” This is just one example of the ways in which Wally prioritised the health and well being of those around him.
Queen’s University has given Wally so much more than he could have ever imagined. It was here that he found his wife, earned his first degree, discovered his love for learning and teaching, played on multiple sports teams, coached, and ultimately returned to teach for 20 years. Wally has made memories at Queen’s that he and his family will never forge. Wally grew up at Queen’s and continues to as he stays connected through the alumni network and community. Wally cannot begin to describe the gratitude, love, and admiration he holds for Queen’s and everything it has done for him.
If you are an alumnus like Wally and are looking to get more involved with the Faculty of Education, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at edalumni@queensu.ca. Your journey with Queen’s does not end when you graduate! If you want to be highlighted like Wally, plan a class reunion, or help with homecoming, we’re here to support you.