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History of the Memorial Fund
F. Ritter Shumway
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On Feb. 15, 1961, a tragedy shook the figure skating world when Flight 548, carrying the World Figure Skating Team in Brussels, Belgium, crashed and all aboard were lost.
From this loss arose the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund to benefit all future figure skaters. Instrumental in the start of this living memorial was the president of U.S. Figure Skating at the time, F. Ritter Shumway.
Shumway, born in 1906, began his association with figure skating in 1939 when he was first inspired to try skating after attending a performance of the Ice Follies. Throughout his skating career, he earned 13 Eastern Sectional Veterans Dance Championships and captured 25 gold medals at various competitions.
Shumway began his career with U.S. Figure Skating in 1956 when he was named chair of the Dance Committee - a post he held until 1959 and again from 1972 to 1975.
Shumway also served as first vice president and chair of the Eastern Committee from 1959 to 1961 and as president of U.S. Figure Skating from 1961 to 1964. He was chair of the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund Committee from 1972 until shortly before his death in 1992 at the age of 86.
The Memorial Fund has grown substantially and especially during the long tenure and leadership of Shumway as its chair. Over the past 40 years the Memorial Fund has provided assistance to thousands of U.S. skaters. It has provided financial support for training and skating expenses as well as assistance with educational costs. Under the leadership of Shumway, the Memorial Fund has developed a financial reserve, interest from which provides funds for annual operations. The fund also receives monies in the following ways: 1) donations made in honor of and in memory of friends and family, 2) donations in support of the Memorial Fund, 3) gifts from wills and trusts, 4) fundraising campaigns, and 5) the sale of Memorial Fund tokens.
Shumway best expressed the meaning of the Memorial Fund in his opening remarks of the Memorial Fund Benefit Performance of the Ice Capades on Sept. 18, 1961.
"It is often in times of tragedy that the finest and most unselfish aspects of human character become evident. The loss of our 1961 World Figure Skating Team, officials, relatives and friends in the airplane tragedy in Belgium was no exception. It has been one of the most moving experiences of my life to receive, on behalf of the Unites States Figure Skating Association, expression of sympathy from all over the world, and to witness the deep and sincere feelings of mutual loss that have been exhibited by skaters of all countries - professional and amateur alike. We will take our Memorial Fund a giant skating stroke forward toward our goal of perpetuating the memory of our gallant 1961 World Team skaters, not so much by statuary and plaques, as by giving us the means to assist talented young skaters - many of them yet 'undiscovered' - to get started, to develop and advance, and eventually to represent our country in future years, and to be ranked at the top of the world in the art of figure skating."
The activities of the Memorial Fund, intended as a living memorial, have allowed those victims immortality by helping generations of competitive skaters who have succeeded them.
In 1986 Shumway was honored for his dedication and contribution to the sport of figure skating by being inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. In 1988 he was presented the George Hasler Medal by the International Skating Union in recognition of his outstanding service and personal dedication to the sport of speed and figure skating in both athletic and administrative capabilities. Also in 1988, the Professional Skaters Guild of America honored Shumway with a National Recognition of Achievement Award in his name. He was the first recipient of the award, which is presented annually to a non-professional person distinguished for unending dedication and significant contribution to the sport of figure skating.
U.S. Figure Skating and the figure skating community can only be thankful to have had the services of such an individual and can only hope that the future produces others who show the same vigor and dedication toward the sport of figure skating.
