• Played five years of both Golden Bears basketball and football. As a punter and offensive end, Maury was a five-time conference All-Star and a key player on the 1963 Canadian championship football team.
• Wilson Challenge Trophy winner in 1962 and leading scorer for Golden Bears basketball during 1961-62 season.
• He and his father, M. L. Van Vliet, are the first father-son combination to be inducted into the U of A Sports Wall of Fame.
• Made a significant contribution to amateur basketball as president of the Alberta Basketball Association and vice-president of Basketball Canada.
• Had a distinguished career in the Edmonton business community as a developer, real-estate manager, and jet fuel supplier.

Maury G. Van Vliet was born in Edmonton and attended Strathcona Composite High School where he competed in basketball, football, and track, before enrolling at the University of Alberta in 1958. As an undergraduate, he enjoyed outstanding five-year careers in both Golden Bears basketball and football, a record matched by very few. Playing at offensive end, defensive back and handling kicking duties, he was a starter and conference All-Star in all five seasons. Maury also was a key member of the first-ever Canadian universities (CIAU) football championship won in a victory over Queen's University in 1963.

Throughout his undergraduate years, first in geology (BSc, 1961) and subsequently in law (LLB, 1964), M.G. moved directly from the gridiron in the fall to the gymnasium, pausing just long enough to change his shoes. In basketball, he achieved the highest field-goal percentage in the Western university league in 1958-59 and earned the Schlosser Trophy as the leading Bear scorer in 1960-61. In the same year, he was named recipient of the Wilson Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding male athlete at the University. Further demonstrating his athletic versatility, Maury was nominated to the provincial all-star team in rugby after a summer season with the Bears in 1962.

After graduation, he refereed and played several seasons in the Calgary senior basketball league and later was a six-time All-Star in the Edmonton senior league. Through a seven year period during which he served as President of the Alberta Basketball Association and as a Director and Vice-President of Basketball Canada, he made further contributions to the game as a high school coach. On the international scene, he was President of the Organizing Committee of the 1991 World Junior Basketball Championships hosted at the University of Alberta.

Following appointments in the pipeline and property development fields, he established his own real estate management consulting firm and still found time to make important contributions as a volunteer. Among those were: membership on the Parkland Recreation Board, president of the Spruce Grove Swim Club, president of the Parkland Football Association and coach of the Spruce Grove bantam football team. "Like father, like son" - a strong commitment to sport as an athlete, coach, administrator and volunteer - explains why Maury G. Van Vliet, and Dr. M.L. (Maury) Van Vliet are the first father-son combination to be inducted to the University of Alberta Sports Wall of Fame.