KEN BABCOCK

Category: Builder
Institution: Durham College
Inducted: 2023

Ken Babcock spent 36 years at Durham College. Since the college's founding in 1967, Ken is one of only two Athletic Directors that the school has ever known. Earning the job after Dave Stewart retired in 1995, Babcock continued to establish a reputation of achievement in post secondary varsity, recreational and facility programming. Ken's vision, commitment to excellence, ability to develop great programs and facilities along with work ethic are the foundation of Ken's tremendous success.

Ken was a driving force behind the construction of nearly $40 million in athletic facilities at Durham College. The Campus Fieldhouse and Vaso's Soccer Field in 2003, the Campus Ice Centre in 2005, the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre in 2007, artificial turf renovation to Vaso's Field in 2018, the artificial turf softball facility addition in 2021, the new Whitby Campus Fitness Centre in 2021, plus major renovations to existing athletic facility spaces all served students and staff, but also the wider community. These facilities greatly benefited institutional, recreational and varsity programming and add to the student experience.

Durham College has proudly held the distinction as having one of the most decorated varsity programs in Ontario. With Ken at the helm, the Lords have achieved an astonishing 116 championship medals in the OCAA, and an additional 22 national championship medals in the CCAA.

Ken held convenor roles in a number of OCAA sports and chaired several committees over the years. Ken served on the OCAA Executive Committee for an extended period as well as OCAA President on two occasions. Ken also served as Ontario's representative to the CCAA national board. Ken was named CCAA National College Athletic Director of the Year in 2003 and awarded DC Alumnus of Distinction in 2005. Ken's incredibly talented team have led the charge in Durham College attracting and hosting numerous CCAA national championship events and OCAA provincial championship that have raised the bar across the country for hosting varsity competitions.

Ken has also given back to the Oshawa community beyond the campus, primarily through Baseball Oshawa, where Ken has coached since 2005 and served as President from 2012 to 2022. Ken was also a member of the organizing committee for the 2000 Ontario Summer Games, the 2008 Ontario Special Olympics Spring Games as well as the 2015 Toronto Pan-Am Games. In recognition of an extraordinary career in athletics and community sport involvement, Ken was inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. In that same time span, Ken found time to help start the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association in 1994, create the Durham College Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and led the launch of the OCAA Hall of Fame in 2003.