Ralph “Hunk” Henderson was a dual sports star in football and basketball when he entered the University of British Columbia in 1934.
In the late 1930’s, he was captain of UBC’s football team under the tutelage of coaches Maury Van Fleet and Gordon “Doc” Burke. He’s noted for being one of the few UBC athletes to play both football and basketball in the same season, as well as being the first-ever UBC player to play professionally when he joined the Edmonton Eskimos in 1939. The following year, he served in World War II spending five years with the Royal Canadian Air Force and three years as a POW.
In the 1950s, Ralph was one of the individuals responsible for launching the BC Lions Football Club. He would serve as its president in 1960 and 1961.
Ralph was also a Director for the Vancouver Meralomas. He can be found in both the UBC Sports Hall of Fame and the BC Sports Hall of Fame as members of various basketball teams including the UBC Thunderbirds and the Vancouver Clover Leafs.
Ralph passed away on July 23, 2003.
