Bentley Robertson Wilson
Coach Ben Leads Hoopsters to Title
Ben Wilson was a versatile athlete best known as a basketball player. A member of the varsity team each of his four years at Acadia, he was captain in his final year. During the 1938-39 year, Coach Terry Osborne had a year’s leave; Wilson became the coach, as well as the team captain. In spite of his dual role, he was extremely effective both as play maker and scorer. Wilson won the Halifax City League scoring title in 1939. Writing in his Athenaeum column, Robbins Elliott commented: “We pause for a moment to consider Bentley Wilson’s feat of winning the Halifax League individual scoring crown....It is remarkable that a guard capture the scoring title, and Acadia’s coach is to be heartily congratulated.” That Wilson did so while serving as coach as well as player makes the feat even more remarkable.
Wilson was not alone in his success. The Acadia team also did well that year under his leadership. They were able to defeat arch-rival Dalhousie: “Shouts of glee echoed and re-echoed out over the campus last Thursday on the arrival of news that Bentley Wilson’s collection of leather-pushers had no trouble in vanquishing Dalhousie University....” The team won the City League title, defeated the Halifax “Y” by two points to take the Nova Scotia Senior championship and beat Mt Allison to take the Maritime Intercollegiate Championship.
Wilson played varsity tennis for which he received an “A.” He received an “A” for basketball as well as a distinction citation. After graduation, he entered Dalhousie University’s medical school graduating with an MD in 1943.
(Acadia Athenaeum, 31 March 1939, 3; 10 February 1939, 3)
