Inducted November 3, 1990
Ray Gallagher, who in 1959 was called the most outstanding tennis player of all time in Newfoundland, won his first championship in 1949 when he captured the Newfoundland Junior Tennis Tournament at the Fort Pepperrell Courts by defeating Frank Moores, the former Premier of Newfoundland. In addition, Ray won the Newfoundland Open Singles Championship in 1956, 1958, 1959. He also won nine Men’s Provincial Doubles Championships and six Provincial Mixed Doubles Championships.
From that time on he won many Riverdale Club Championships including the JVR Trophy (John V. Rabbitts) for three singles championships (1956, 1958, 1959). He competed in three Canadian Open Tennis Championships one each in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In addition to this he won numerous Men’s Doubles championships in City and Club competitions. He also won many Mixed Doubles championships with a number of different partners but mostly with Margaret Hitchens, who became his perennial partner.
As a squash player Ray was the first winner of the Sir Leonard C. Outerbridge Trophy in 1966, winning the Newfoundland Section A Singles Championship. He also took part in the Centennial Squash Tournament in Toronto in 1967 and the Canadian Open in Calgary. He was a member of the City Championship Ten Pin Bowling team in 1963. He won several Table Tennis Championships in St. John’s including the singles, doubles and team championships in 1967. He represented Newfoundland in the O’Keefe Mixed Curling Championships in Toronto in 1964. In 1946 and 1947 Ray rowed in the St. John’s Regatta as a member of the Catholic Boys Club team.