William George Beers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William George Beers
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A portrait of Beers taken in 1868
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| Born | May 5, 1843 |
| Died | December 26, 1900 (aged 57) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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| Nationality | Canada |
| Occupation | Dentist |
| Known for | "Father of modern lacrosse" |
William George Beers (born May 5, 1843 – died December 26, 1900) was a famous Canadian dentist. He is known as the "father of modern lacrosse" because he created the first official rules for the game. He was also a proud Canadian patriot.
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William Beers: The Father of Modern Lacrosse
William Beers loved lacrosse from a young age. As a teenager in 1856, he joined the Montreal Lacrosse Club. When he was 17, he played as a goalkeeper in a special game. This game was played for the Prince of Wales in Montreal.
Creating Lacrosse Rules
Before 1860, lacrosse games had no set rules. Players had to agree on rules before each game. William Beers changed this. In 1860, he started writing down the first modern rules for lacrosse.
Some of the rules Beers created included:
- The size and use of a rubber lacrosse ball.
- Lacrosse sticks could be any length.
- The stick's pocket had to be flat when empty.
- The field length was set to 200 yards (180 m).
- Goals and goal creases had specific sizes.
- Each team had twelve players on the field.
- Games ended when a team scored five goals or led by three.
Growing the Game of Lacrosse
In 1867, lacrosse became very popular. Beers then started the Canadian National Lacrosse Foundation. In 1869, he wrote a book called Lacrosse: The National Game of Canada.
To show the sport to the world, Beers organized tours. In 1876, he took Canadian and Indigenous players to England, Scotland, and Ireland. Queen Victoria watched a game during this trip. She was very impressed, saying, "The game is very pretty to watch." Her support helped many English girls' schools start playing lacrosse in the 1890s. Beers returned to England in 1883 with two teams to play more exhibition games.
William Beers: A Skilled Dentist
William Beers was also a very successful and well-known dentist. He finished his dental training in 1856. By the early 1860s, he was a busy dentist. He also started writing articles for dental journals.
In 1868, he created Canada's first dental journal, the Canada Journal of Dental Science. This journal did not last long. However, he later started the Dominion Dental Journal in 1889. This journal eventually became the modern-day Journal of the Canadian Dental Association.
Beers also helped start Quebec's first dental college. This was the Dental College of the Province of Quebec, founded in 1892. He was its first dean. In 1896, this college joined Bishop's University. Later, it became the McGill University Faculty of Dentistry. Beers was dean at Bishop's for a short time. He resigned because he disagreed about what students should learn and about using untrained dental assistants.
William Beers: A Proud Canadian
Beers was a strong Canadian nationalist. He believed lacrosse could be a "unifying symbol" for Canada. He wanted it to become the national sport.
He also helped defend Canada during the Fenian Raids in 1866 and 1870. During these raids, Beers helped create the Victoria Rifles of Canada.
