Professional athlete. He was born (born Lim Kwong Yew, Chinese: 林佐民) into to a Chinese grocer's family, the son of immigrants and the product of an arranged marriage, during a time when Chinese-Canadians faced severe discrimination.
He was a running back who played for the Calgary Stampeders (1948 to 1950) and the Edmonton Eskimos (1951 to 1960) of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a young man he was an all-around athlete, but he was especially good at football. In 1947, after graduating from Western High School in Calgary, at age 18, immediately joined the Calgary Stampeders as a running back. That year they won the Grey Cup, making him the youngest player to win the championship. He rushed 9,022 yards on 1,745 carries and scored 78 touchdowns. He was the Western Division leading rusher in 1951, 1955, 1956, and had more than 1,000 yards four seasons in a row. As a CFL player, he received the following awards; All-Western Running Full Back - 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956; Eddie James Memorial Trophy - 1951, 1955, 1956; Canadian Male Athlete of the Year - 1955; Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Canadian - 1956, 1958; Grey Cup Participation - 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954 - 1956, 1960 ; Grey Cup Winning Teams - 1948, 1954 - 1956
He was also a successful businessman; he sold cars and had a laundry business. He was the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1992, and a part owner of the Calgary Flames from 1980 to 1994.
As a politician, he was elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, serving from 2005 to 2010.
His excellence was widely recognized. In 2005, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2006. The University of Calgary created the Normie Kwong Bursary in his honour and the Canadian embassy in Beijing named their gymnasium for him.
He married Mary Lee on March 26, 1960, and the couple had four sons.
He was a running back who played for the Calgary Stampeders (1948 to 1950) and the Edmonton Eskimos (1951 to 1960) of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a young man he was an all-around athlete, but he was especially good at football. In 1947, after graduating from Western High School in Calgary, at age 18, immediately joined the Calgary Stampeders as a running back. That year they won the Grey Cup, making him the youngest player to win the championship. He rushed 9,022 yards on 1,745 carries and scored 78 touchdowns. He was the Western Division leading rusher in 1951, 1955, 1956, and had more than 1,000 yards four seasons in a row. As a CFL player, he received the following awards; All-Western Running Full Back - 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956; Eddie James Memorial Trophy - 1951, 1955, 1956; Canadian Male Athlete of the Year - 1955; Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Canadian - 1956, 1958; Grey Cup Participation - 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954 - 1956, 1960 ; Grey Cup Winning Teams - 1948, 1954 - 1956
He was also a successful businessman; he sold cars and had a laundry business. He was the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1992, and a part owner of the Calgary Flames from 1980 to 1994.
As a politician, he was elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, serving from 2005 to 2010.
His excellence was widely recognized. In 2005, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2006. The University of Calgary created the Normie Kwong Bursary in his honour and the Canadian embassy in Beijing named their gymnasium for him.
He married Mary Lee on March 26, 1960, and the couple had four sons.
Professional athlete. He was born (born Lim Kwong Yew, Chinese: 林佐民) into to a Chinese grocer's family, the son of immigrants and the product of an arranged marriage, during a time when Chinese-Canadians faced severe discrimination.
He was a running back who played for the Calgary Stampeders (1948 to 1950) and the Edmonton Eskimos (1951 to 1960) of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a young man he was an all-around athlete, but he was especially good at football. In 1947, after graduating from Western High School in Calgary, at age 18, immediately joined the Calgary Stampeders as a running back. That year they won the Grey Cup, making him the youngest player to win the championship. He rushed 9,022 yards on 1,745 carries and scored 78 touchdowns. He was the Western Division leading rusher in 1951, 1955, 1956, and had more than 1,000 yards four seasons in a row. As a CFL player, he received the following awards; All-Western Running Full Back - 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956; Eddie James Memorial Trophy - 1951, 1955, 1956; Canadian Male Athlete of the Year - 1955; Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Canadian - 1956, 1958; Grey Cup Participation - 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954 - 1956, 1960 ; Grey Cup Winning Teams - 1948, 1954 - 1956
He was also a successful businessman; he sold cars and had a laundry business. He was the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1992, and a part owner of the Calgary Flames from 1980 to 1994.
As a politician, he was elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, serving from 2005 to 2010.
His excellence was widely recognized. In 2005, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2006. The University of Calgary created the Normie Kwong Bursary in his honour and the Canadian embassy in Beijing named their gymnasium for him.
He married Mary Lee on March 26, 1960, and the couple had four sons.
He was a running back who played for the Calgary Stampeders (1948 to 1950) and the Edmonton Eskimos (1951 to 1960) of the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a young man he was an all-around athlete, but he was especially good at football. In 1947, after graduating from Western High School in Calgary, at age 18, immediately joined the Calgary Stampeders as a running back. That year they won the Grey Cup, making him the youngest player to win the championship. He rushed 9,022 yards on 1,745 carries and scored 78 touchdowns. He was the Western Division leading rusher in 1951, 1955, 1956, and had more than 1,000 yards four seasons in a row. As a CFL player, he received the following awards; All-Western Running Full Back - 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956; Eddie James Memorial Trophy - 1951, 1955, 1956; Canadian Male Athlete of the Year - 1955; Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Canadian - 1956, 1958; Grey Cup Participation - 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954 - 1956, 1960 ; Grey Cup Winning Teams - 1948, 1954 - 1956
He was also a successful businessman; he sold cars and had a laundry business. He was the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1992, and a part owner of the Calgary Flames from 1980 to 1994.
As a politician, he was elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, serving from 2005 to 2010.
His excellence was widely recognized. In 2005, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2006. The University of Calgary created the Normie Kwong Bursary in his honour and the Canadian embassy in Beijing named their gymnasium for him.
He married Mary Lee on March 26, 1960, and the couple had four sons.
Bio by: HH
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Kwong memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
