Dave Morell

Dave Morell will receive an honorary doctorate of letters on the Fredericton campus on Thursday, May 18. He is a UNB alumnus, graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in 1972.

While a student, Morell received his first taste of sports broadcasting by providing coverage of the varsity hockey team. When he became local radio station CFNB’s first-ever Sports Director, he covered all UNB sporting events. Over the next 30 years, the station’s coverage would become an award-winning staple for Maritime listeners and Morell would become a 10-year President of the UNB Varsity Club.

In May 2001, Morell became the first Marketing and Events Manager for UNB Fredericton’s Athletics Dept., and for the next 16 years became “The Voice of UNB Athletics.” Upon his retirement in 2016, he was awarded the UNB Athletics Ring of Distinction, typically reserved only for varsity athletes; the James Born Award for outstanding contributions to athletics; and a UNB President’s Medal for distinguished service to athletics and the greater UNB community. That same year, he created the “UNB Men’s Hockey Fellows Society” which included all former hockey players, coaches, managers, trainers and support staff. Its mission is to foster a positive link between past, current and future hockey players at UNB, winner of nine National Championships.

Throughout Dave Morell’s career he has received a number of accolades including the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship, recognizing service to his community. In addition to a number of others from local charitable organizations, he received the Doug Gilbert Memorial Award for being the Canadian Sportscaster of the Year in 1981; the James Ellery Award for Broadcaster of the Year in the American Hockey League, for both 1981-82 and 1986-87; a Queen’s Jubilee Medal; and is a Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame inductee. Morell was also named Fredericton North Citizen of the year and Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the year. In 1982, he dined with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, having been selected as a “Young Canadian Achiever” by his Local MP, during ceremonies surrounding the Patriation of The Canadian Constitution.