Carrying on a long tradition of fine athletes coming from Glace Bay, Patricia Churchill was a standout on the varsity ground hockey, swimming and basketball teams, and she was an ardent skier during her time at Acadia.
It was during 1947 that the first official Maritime Intercollegiate Swimming Meet was held in Fredericton. The women’s team led by Betty Kinley and Patricia Churchill had little trouble defeating U.N.B. and Dalhousie, winning seven of eight events and taking 48 of a possible 50 points. At another invitational meet that year, the Axettes, led by Peggy Dobson, Betty Kinley and Patsy Churchill, lost but one event in 18 to Dalhousie and smashed eleven pool records.
It was on the hard court that Patsy had her greatest glory at Acadia. In her senior year she lead the team to the Nova Scotia crown, but they lost the Maritime Final to U.N.B. after running up five straight victories in their advance to the finals. The Axe Yearbook from 1947 noted, “A couple of three year veterans, Mary MacDonald and Patsy Churchill, wound up their playing careers at Acadia in fine style as they led the pointgetters with 72 and 66 points respectively. The play of Miss Churchill, who was captain, was particularly brilliant against U.N.B.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Acadia, Patsy started a family and pursued a lengthy career in the field of education. She has been a researcher, teacher, writer, and film producer, and she received a Masters and Doctorate in Education from Indiana University in 1968 and 1972 respectively. In addition, she produced the film “Masters of Disaster,” which won four national awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
