{{short description|Canadian tennis and badminton player}} {{Infobox tennis biography | name = Marjorie Leeming | birth_date = {{birth date text|June 4 1903}} | birth_place = Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|1987|06|10|1903|06|04}} | death_place = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | country = {{flagu|Canada|1921}} | college = University of British Columbia | retired = Post-1932 | USOpenresult = 1930 (QF)
| USOpenDoublesresult = 1932 (SF) }} '''Marjorie Leeming''' (June 4 1903<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search Our Collection - Royal BC Museum (Marjorie Leeming Registration of Death) |url=https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/48e21fc4-f2c0-479d-883c-27c97defab2f |access-date=April 22, 2025 |website=Royal BC Museum Genealogy BC Archives}}</ref> – June 10, 1987) was a Canadian tennis player, badminton player and teacher. She won the Canadian Open ladies' singles title twice and was runner-up on four occasions. Leeming took the Canadian doubles championship three times and the mixed doubles twice. She won seven titles in British Columbia and was the Oregon State Tennis Championship singles winner in 1926. After her tennis ended due to injury, Leeming moved into education, co-authoring a 1935 school textbook on modern composition for use in schools in British Columbia. She taught badminton, golf and tennis to female students at the University of British Columbia before becoming Assistant to its Dean of Women. Leeming is an inductee of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame and the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.
==Personal background== In 1903, Leeming was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.<ref name="EncyEntry" /> She had a sister, Hope, who was also a tennis player.<ref name="EncyEntry">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Commire|editor1-first=Anne|editor2-last=Klezmer|editor2-first=Deborah|title=Leeming, Marjorie (1903–1987)|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/leeming-marjorie-1903-1987|encyclopedia=Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages|year=2007|volume=1|page=1108}}</ref> When she was four years old, Leeming and her family moved to Victoria, British Columbia.<ref name="BCHOFBio">{{cite web|title=Marjorie Leeming|url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/marjorie-leeming/|publisher=B.C. Sports Hall of Fame|accessdate=January 9, 2021}}</ref><ref name="BCMagFeature1954" /> She studied at Victoria High School.<ref name="BCMagFeature1954">{{cite news|last=Gale|first=Montgomery|title=From Court Star to Counselor|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228065/bc-magazine-clipping-of-marjorie/|work=The Province B.C. Magazine|date=January 30, 1954|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228065/bc-magazine-clipping-of-marjorie/ 3], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228087/bc-magazine-clipping-of-article-on/ 6]|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> While enrolled at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Leeming was told she would fail her classes if she took some time off to meet another tennis player for an exhibition match in Vancouver since sport was not considered as legitimate activity for women in that era.<ref name=UBCBook1990>{{cite book|last=Stewart|first=Lee|title="It's Up to You": Women at UBC in the Early Years|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cSdmvNWe4Z4C&dq=Marjorie+Leeming&pg=PA75|year=1990|publisher=University of British Columbia Press|location=Vancouver, Canada|isbn=0-7748-0353-3|pages=75, 118|via=Google Books|accessdate=January 9, 2021}}</ref> She graduated from the UBC in 1926.<ref name="BCMagFeature1954" /> Leeming died on June 10, 1987, in Victoria.<ref name="VSObit1987" /> She did not marry.<ref name="VSObit1987">{{cite news|date=June 13, 1987|title=Tennis champ remembered for her modesty|page=B7|work=Vancouver Sun|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67227986/marjorie-leeming-obituary-june-13/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Tennis career== While in high school, Leeming started her amateur tennis career.<ref name="VSObit1987" /> Aged 12,<ref name="GVSHOFEntry">{{cite web|title=Marjorie Leeming (1997)|url=https://gvshof.ca/inductees-2/all-inductees/25-tennis-badminton/31-marjorie-leeming-1997.html|accessdate=January 9, 2021|publisher=Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame}}</ref> she won the annual challenge Pooley Cup to become the girls' junior tennis champion of British Columbia in 1915.<ref name="VDTSep1915">{{cite news|title=Junior Champions Showed Fine Form|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228754/marjorie-leeming-1915-pooley-cup-girls/|work=The Victoria Daily Times|date=September 13, 1915|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=13|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Leeming won the trophy three more times from 1916 to 1918 to earn the Pooley Cup permanently. In 1909, when she was 16, she and Gerald Patterson played against Norman Brookes, the world champion, in a mixed doubles match.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /> In 1921, Leeming won the British Columbia Tennis Championships singles as well as the ladies' doubles and mixed doubles titles.<ref name="VDTAug1921">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming Is Star of Tennis Week|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67231212/marjorie-leeming-bc-tennis/|work=The Victoria Daily Times|date=August 1, 1921|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=7|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the Victoria City Clay Court Championships the following year.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /> In 1923, she progressed to the final of the women's singles division of the Oregon State Tennis Championship, and won the title with a victory over C. J. Cushing that July.<ref name="PPBJul1923">{{cite news|date=July 16, 1923|title=Marjorie Leeming New Tennis Champ|page=7|work=The Pomona Progress Bulletin|agency=United Press International|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67230435/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="TPJul1923">{{cite news|title=Victoria Star is Champion of Oregon|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67230496/marjorie-leeming-1923-oregon-tournament/|work=The Province|date=July 16, 1923|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=14|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Leeming took her second BC ladies' singles title and her first mixed doubles victory two weeks later,<ref name="VDWJuly1923">{{cite web|title=B.C. Mainland Tennis Champs|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67235209/1923-bc-tennis-winners-vdw-july-30/|work=The Vancouver Daily World|date=July 30, 1923|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=12|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and added a second singles, doubles and mixed doubles victory at the Victoria City Clay Court Championships. She also took the title in the BC Mainland Championship in that year.<ref name="BCHOFBio" />
In 1924, Leeming was runner-up in her first Canadian Open singles final.<ref name="TCHOFBio">{{cite web|title=Player – Marjorie Leeming|url=https://www.tenniscanada.com/hall-of-fame/marjorie-leeming/|publisher=Tennis Canada|accessdate=January 9, 2021}}</ref> She won her third singles and doubles titles win for the Victoria City Clay Court Championships that same year and her third British Columbia Tennis Championship singles accolade.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /> Leeming ended the year {{Abbr|No.|Tennis ranking}} 1 in the inaugural women's tennis rankings for British Columbia.<ref name="TCSep1924">{{cite news|title=Miss Leeming Tops Women Players, so First Rankings Say|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67231357/marjorie-leeming-no-1-bc-tennis-player/|work=The Victoria Daily News|date=September 25, 1924|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=10|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She won the 1925 Canadian Open singles and doubles competitions,<ref name="BCHOFBio" /><ref name="TCHOFBio" /> and the 1925 BC Mainland Championship title.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /> Leeming went on to win the ladies' open and handicap singles as well as the mixed handicap doubles events in the BC Championships that same year.<ref name="TCAug1925">{{cite news|date=August 17, 1925|title=Finals Played In Tennis Tournament At Victoria Club|page=12|work=The Victoria Daily Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67232199/vltc-handicap-tournament-1925-tc/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She added a second Canadian Open singles title, a fifth and third respective title in the singles event at each of the BC Championship and BC Mainland competitions in 1926. Leeming also won the singles Oregon State Championship event that same year.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /> She ended the year No. 1 in each of the BC and Pacific North West Association rankings.<ref name="TCOct1926">{{cite news|date=October 7, 1926|title=Marjorie Leeming Ranked as No. 1 in B.C. Women's Tennis|page=10|work=The Victoria Daily Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228021/marjorie-leeming-late-1926-no-1-bc/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="VDTDec1926">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming and Turenne Top P.N.W Rankings|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67231565/marjorie-leeming-pnw-rankings-1926-vdt/|work=The Victoria Daily Times|date=December 6, 1926|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=14|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Leeming was selected by the British Columbia Lawn Tennis Association to compete at the 1928 Dominion Championships staged in Toronto.<ref name="TCJul1928">{{cite news|date=July 5, 1928|title=Marjorie Leeming To Represent B.C.|page=8|work=The Victoria Daily Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67231722/marjorie-leeming-dominion-championships/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In January 1929, she progressed to the women's final of the Upisland Badminton Championships and won the title by defeating Anna Kier in the final.<ref name="NDNJan1929">{{cite news|title=Badminton Titles Have Been Decided|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67231973/upisland-badminton-championships-1929/|work=Nanaimo Daily News|date=January 28, 1929|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Leeming subsequently lost to Dorothy Weisel in straight sets of the women's final of the Oregon State Championship in July that year.<ref name="TPJul1929">{{cite news|title=Ray Casey Beaten In Oregon Final; Marjorie Leeming Is Defeated In Straight Sets In Ladies' Event|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67232172/oregon-state-tennis-championship-1929/|work=The Province|date=July 14, 1929|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=20|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In January 1930, she won two badminton titles in the ladies' singles and ladies' doubles at the Upper Island Badminton Championships.<ref name="TPJan1930">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming Wins Two Finals in Badminton|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67232558/marjorie-leeming-1930-badminton-wins/|work=The Province|date=January 21, 1930|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=18|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Leeming began the tennis year No. 1 in both the British Columbia and Pacific rankings.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /><ref name="SPFeb1930">{{cite news|date=February 3, 1930|title=Pacific Tennis Rating|page=6|work=StarPhoenix|agency=The Canadian Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67232577/pnta-rankings-1930-marjorie-leeming-sp/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> That year, she won each of the doubles and mixed doubles events and was runner-up in the singles competition at the Canadian Open. Leeming also played in that year's U.S. National Championships in the women's singles. She ended up as runner-up in the Canadian Open women's singles event in each of 1931 and 1932. Leeming and her sister lasted until the semi-finals in the women's doubles at the 1932 U.S. National Championships.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /><ref name="TCHOFBio" /> After being deemed the favourite to win the women's singles competition of the Eastern Canadian Tennis Championships in Calgary,<ref name="CHJul1932">{{cite news|date=July 11, 1932|title=Marjorie Leeming Favorite In East Tennis Tournament|page=7|work=Calgary Herald|agency=The Canadian Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67233508/ectc-leeming-favourite-july-11-1932-ch/|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> she took that title and paired with her sister to claim the women's doubles title.<ref name="VSJul1932">{{cite news|title=Miss Leeming is Canadian Champion|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67233607/marjorie-leeming-ec-wins-vs-july-18/|work=Vancouver Sun|date=July 18, 1932|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=8|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Also from 1930 to 1932, Leeming was second in the women's Canadian rankings.<ref name="TCHOFBio" /><ref name="VDTFeb1932">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming Placed Second In Canadian Rankings|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67233521/marjorie-leeming-1932-rankings-tc/|work=The Victoria Daily Times|date=February 22, 1932|page=14|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She was again runner-up in the women's singles and the women's doubles at the 1932 Canadian Open,<ref name="TCHOFBio" /> and lasted until the third round of the women's singles competition as a representative of Canada at that year's U.S. National Championships.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /><ref name="VSObit1987" /><ref name="GVSHOFEntry" /> Leeming was removed from BC rankings list because she had not competed in any singles event held in the province,<ref name="VSOct1932">{{cite news|title=Ryall and Milne Lead|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67234376/bc-tennis-rankings-1932-vs-october/|work=Vancouver Sun|date=October 11, 1932|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=15|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> but was ranked No. 2 in the national Canadian rankings at the start of 1933.<ref name="VDTFeb1933">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming And Mary Campbell Are High In Rankings|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67234260/1933-canadian-tennis-rankings-vdt/|work=The Victoria Daily Times|date=February 20, 1933|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=12|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She retired soon after on advice to cease playing tennis due to a hip injury she picked up in competition.<ref name="VSObit1987" /><ref name="NDNFeb1954">{{cite news|title=Ex-Tennis Star Now Professor at University|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228000/marjorie-leeming-ubc-role-ndn-february/|work=Nanaimo Daily News|agency=The Canadian Press|date=February 12, 1954|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=6|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Academic career== Leeming did three years of teacher training at UBC following her 1926 graduation, and taught in Duncan before moving on to teach English at History at King Edward High School in Vancouver.<ref name="BCMagFeature1954" /><ref name="NDNFeb1954" /> In 1935, she and her friend Dorothy Mawdsley co-authored a school textbook, titled ''Modern Composition for High Schools and Collegiates'' for use in schools in British Columbia.<ref name="UBCBook1990" /><ref name="VSObit1987" /> After a period in England,<ref name="TPJan1940" /> she spent a year as an exchange teacher at Mansfield Boys' School, in Durban, Natal, South Africa, where she was the only Canadian amongst the staff there before returning to Canada in early 1940.<ref name="BCMagFeature1954" /><ref name=TPJan1940>{{cite news|last=Price|first=Joann|title=Back From South Africa: Went Swimming Christmas Day|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228506/marjorie-leeming-1940-return-to-canada/|work=The Province|date=January 12, 1940|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=28|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1942, Leeming's two-hour film of the views and the flora and fauna of South Africa was shown at an illustrated lecture of hers held in aid of Vancouver Island's Queen Alexandra Solarium.<ref name="TPMar1942">{{cite news|title=South Africa Film Will Aid Solarium|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228531/marjorie-leeming-film-showing-1942-the/|work=The Province|date=March 2, 1942|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=11|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="VSMar1942">{{cite news|title=Marjorie Leeming's African Movie Aid Solarium|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228551/marjroie-leemings-african-film-showing/|work=Vancouver Sun|date=March 3, 1942|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=7|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She joined the faculty of UBC to instruct female students to play the individual sports of badminton, golf and tennis in 1947.<ref name="BCMagFeature1954" /> From July 1951 to June 1959, Leeming was the Assistant to the university's Dean of Women. She subsequently retired to Vancouver Island, where she and Mawdsley constructed a cabin.<ref name="UBCBook1990" />
==Accolades and legacy== From 1923 to 1931, she was voted Outstanding Tennis Player in BC on six occasions in 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1930 and 1931.<ref name="BCHOFBio" /><ref name="GVSHOFEntry" /> Leeming was the first female tennis player to be elected to the BC Sports Hall of Fame as an individual in 1978.<ref name="VSObit1987" /><ref name=BCSOF1990Induction>{{cite news|last=Dheensaw|first=Cleve|title=Victoria Inductees|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228839/1990-bc-sports-hall-of-fame-inductees/|work=Times Colonist|date=January 8, 1990|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=B3|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She earned induction into the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame in 1993.<ref name="TCHOFBio" /> In November 1997, Leeming was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name=VSHOF1997Inductees>{{cite web|title=Fame is the Name of the Game|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228823/1997-victoria-sports-hall-of-fame/|work=Times Colonist|date=November 6, 1997|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=7|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She was named as one of the Top 100 Island Athletes of the 20th Century by the sports department of the ''Times Colonist'' newspaper in December 1999.<ref name=Top100IslandAthletes>{{cite news|last=Dheensaw|first=Cleve|title=Island athletes left their mark on world stage|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67228885/top-100-island-athletes-of-the-20th/|work=Times Colonist|date=December 29, 1999|accessdate=January 9, 2021|page=C14|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The UBC holds a black and white portrait photograph of Leeming in its UBC Archives Photograph Collection.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marjorie Leeming: UBC Archives Photograph Collection|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/arphotos/items/1.0025163|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=February 5, 2021|publisher=The University of British Columbia}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leeming, Marjorie}} Category:1903 births Category:1987 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Kamloops Category:University of British Columbia alumni Category:Tennis players from British Columbia Category:Canadian female tennis players Category:Canadian female badminton players Category:Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Category:Canadian schoolteachers Category:20th-century Canadian educators Category:Canadian women educators Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen Category:Sportswomen from British Columbia Category:20th-century women educators