Walter L. Bush Jr. '51, the chairman of the board for USA Hockey, was honored with the inaugural George M. Steinbrenner III Sport Leadership Award on Monday, Feb. 12. The award is presented by the United States Olympic Foundation to recognize leadership, ethical conduct and long-standing contributions to sport.
"Walter Bush has been the single most influential person in the development and evolution of the structure of amateur hockey in the United States," president of USA Hockey Ron DeGregorio said in a press release. "He's been a leader in the Olympic movement and his passion for sport is evident each and every day. On behalf of the USA Hockey family, we couldn't be more pleased that Walter has received the first-ever Steinbrenner Award."
In addition to being chairman of the board for USA Hockey, Bush is also vice president of the International Ice Hockey Federation and serves as the vice-chair to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Upon receiving the award, Bush said he felt honored to be recognized for his accomplishments.
"I was very humbled to learn that I had been chosen for the award, since there are so many people involved in the Olympics," he said. "Next, I thought of all of the people, especially the volunteers that gave their time, who have helped me to get here today."
At Dartmouth, Bush was a member of Alpha Delta fraternity and was in the Dragon senior society. Bush was on the football and hockey teams his freshman year, but injuries derailed his playing careers at the College. But his love of sports was not lost in the injuries, and he would go on to become one of the most influential men in American hockey.
After a short stint in semi-professional hockey, Bush's first appearance at the national level came in 1959 when he managed the U.S. Men's National Team at the IIHF Championships. In the same year, he was elected to USA Hockey's Board of Directors.
Around the same time, Bush began his involvement in professional hockey.
He was president of the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association for three years before becoming owner and president of the minor-league Minneapolis Bruins from 1963 to 1965.
Bush was also the driving force in securing a National Hockey League franchise in his hometown of Minneapolis, landing the Minneapolis North Stars. The team still exists in the NHL as the Dallas Stars.
Bush served as the first president of the North Stars from 1967 to 1976, and in 1973 the NHL recognized his contributions with the Lester Patrick Award, granted in recognition for service to the hockey community.
In 1986, Bush was elected president of USA Hockey, where he served for 17 years before becoming chairman. During his tenure as the chairman, he established the USA Hockey foundation in order to foster development of the sport of hockey.
Most importantly, Bush accomplished what will likely be his most lasting legacy on the sport: helping to advance women's hockey.
In 1990, Bush was a key figure in creating the first IIHF Women's World Championship. He was the primary catalyst behind the charge to make women's hockey a medal sport beginning at the 1998 Olympic games in Nagano, Japan.
Bush said that getting women's hockey to become an Olympic sport was an accomplishment that stood out among his many achievements.
"Getting the women into the Olympics was definitely a big moment. After that, the victory of the men in 1960 and 1980 also serve as milestones. Trying to get women's hockey to become an official Olympic event really took a lot of effort on our part, and it was not an easy job."
Prior to the Steinbrenner award, Bush has received numerous other awards as results of his contribution to hockey in America. He was elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980, and was elected to the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1999, USA Hockey's office complex in Colorado Springs, Colo., was re-named the Walter L. Bush Jr. center.
Bush then went on to receive two of the highest honors in the Olympic and hockey community. In 2000, he was enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and in 2002 he received the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee.
Bush said that the award allowed him to reflect on what he has done for hockey in America.
"I guess this award is like a road map for all of the things I have done for USA Hockey," he said.
