Dr. Ed Meads was a standout on the field of competition as well as in the classroom, thus earning him a spot in the inaugural class of the Oxford Athletic Hall of Fame.
‘I was very flattered and very honored,? Meads said.
Throughout his four years at Oxford High School, he earned 12 letter awards in four sports, football, basketball, track & field and baseball.
The four-time captain was named all-Tri-County League seven times and earned all-state honors in the half mile, including a fourth place finish at the 1952 Michigan High School Athletic Association finals after twice breaking the school record.
In addition to his achievements on the field of play, Meads was the 1952 Oxford Cup winner and received the University of Michigan Regent’s Scholarship.
‘I had a great experience at Oxford High School. It was a great time and a great decade to be in school growing up,? Meads said. ‘It was very humbling to be selected by your peers and teachers. I was honored.?
Meads enrolled at U of M after graduating from Oxford in 1952. During his time as a Wolverine, he earned three letter awards as an offensive guard and was named captain in the 1955 season.
Following the 1955 season, he earned honorable mention All-America honors from both the United Press International and the Associated Press and was third team all-Big Ten Conference.
Meads was also an all-star in the classroom, belonging to the prestigious Sphnix and Michigamua Honor Societies and earned the Fielding H. Yost Scholar Award.
He received his bachelor’s degree from U of M in 1956 and was accepted into the University of Western Ontario (UWO) Medical School.
Meads continued to excel both inside the classroom and on the athletic field. He lettered twice for the Mustangs and led them to the 1957 Canadian National Football Championship.
He was named Most Valuable Player that year and was named to the 1957 and 1958 All-Canada team as both a center and middle linebacker.
In 1961, he earned his Masters Degree from UWO with honors. He was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Scholar Society and is currently a member of the UWO Athletics Hall of Fame.
Meads said heading into the medical field was something he was bred for. His fathers brother was a doctor in Jackson, MI and his dad was a dentist.
‘It just seemed to be natural,? Meads added.
He served his internship at Wayne State Hospitals until 1962 when he returned to UWO for his residency through 1966. In 1967, he earned the prestigious McLaughlin Traveling Fellowship Award, which was given to residents who were trained in Canada and planning to come back for an academic career at a teaching university and was a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.
During the Vietnam War, Meads served as a Major in the United States Army Medical Corps and was Chief of Surgery for the 91st and 93rd EVAC Hospitals, earning the U.S. Bronze Star in 1969 for his contributions.
He was named the A.D. McLaughlin Professor of Surgery in 1990 and served UWO for 34 years as a member of the department of surgery. Before being named professor emeritus at UWO School of Medicine in 2004, he served as Chief of Surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Ontario from 1980 to 1990.
He current resides in London, Ontario.
‘I am really looking forward to the presentation and getting back and seeing a lot of friends as well,? Meads said.