Burton Russell
- Type: Builder
- Sport(s): Sport Historian
- Year: Inaugural
Burton Russell (1934 -)
As a young boy growing up in Kentville, N.S. Burton Russell watched and loved sports of all types, especially baseball, having watched the Kentville Wildcats and Middleton teams of the Central League which later joined with the Halifax Defense League to form the celebrated H&D League. That caught Burton’s interest, a man who has published eleven (11) books on various sports and athletes over some forty (40) years. His writings and collection of articles and memorabilia have been a source of information for many over the years and he is often sought out as a credible expert on sport, not only in the province, but throughout the Maritimes.
The retired teacher is a former coach in various sports, having received a NSSAF citation for his contributions, and is a regular attendee at sporting events within the Valley region. Last December 11th, in the midst of receiving an unbelievable number of e-mails, cards, calls and visits from former Kings County Academy students and provincial athletes scattered across the province, he celebrated his 80th birthday. He is currently penning his 12th book.
He is a member of the Sport Hall of Fame at Acadia University, his alma mater, served on the selection committees of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame and Acadia University for many years, and has been the statistician for the N.S. Senior Baseball League (NSBBL) for over twenty-seven (27) years in 2015.
According to Burton, among his most memorable moments was twice being named Coach of the Year in the Annapolis Valley High School Hockey League and being the recipient of the prestigious Johnny MacAskill Award. Especially memorable was being named Honorary Chairman of the National Junior Baseball Championship in 2013.
In many ways, Burton has become the premiere sports historian for Nova Scotia.