John McCallum (badminton) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John D. M. McCallum
McCallum at the 1923 Ireland versus England badminton match
Personal information
Birth name	John Dunwoodie Martin McCallum
Born	2 September 1883 Belfast, Ireland
Died	14 January 1967(1967-01-14) (aged 83) Belfast
Country	Ireland

John Dunwoodie Martin McCallum (born September 2, 1883, died January 14, 1967) was an important person from Northern Ireland. People sometimes called him "the wee major." He was a brave soldier, a judge, and a very talented sportsman. He even led the International Badminton Federation, which is the main organization for badminton around the world!

Early Life and Army Service

John McCallum was born in Belfast, Ireland, on September 2, 1883. His parents were Sarah Linden and John McCallum. His father worked for the national education board in Ireland. John went to school at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and then to Queen's University Belfast. He finished university in 1906 and became a lawyer in Belfast in 1910. In 1915, he married Eveleen Lindsay.

In 1908, John joined the army reserves, called the Territorial Force. He quickly became a captain in 1911. When World War I started in 1914, he was sent to France with his army unit. He showed great bravery during the war. He received a special award called the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his actions in the Battle of the Somme. He also earned a French award called the Croix de Guerre in 1918.

After the war, John continued to serve. He worked as a resident magistrate (a type of judge) in County Clare in 1920. Later, he became the leader of a police training camp in Newtownards. In 1921, he was given another important award, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He continued to work as a judge in Newry and later in Belfast until he retired in 1953.

A Champion in Sports

McCallum with the Strollers, 1928

John McCallum was an amazing athlete who played many different sports. He played cricket for Ireland in 1910 as a wicket-keeper. He was also considered for the international rugby team!

However, he is best known for his incredible career in badminton. He played for the Irish national badminton team eight times, first from 1913 to 1914, and then again from 1920 to 1926. For 52 years, he was the secretary of the northern branch of the Badminton Union of Ireland. He also served as its president.

Later, he became the president of the International Badminton Federation from 1961 to 1963. He is even given credit for helping badminton grow and become popular in Denmark.

John McCallum passed away in Belfast on January 14, 1967. His contributions to badminton were so important that he was added to the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1997.

Badminton Achievements

John McCallum won several important badminton tournaments: