View is north northeast. Photograph shows the Brandon College Building in the foreground with the Education Building and North Hill in the background. Photo was taken from the roof of McMaster Hall.
A problem during development has obscured a portion of Kinsmen Stadium and the southeast corner of the campus.
Scope and Content
View is north from Victoria Avenue between 18th and 20th Streets to the railway tracks. Photograph shows Kinsmen Stadium, the College campus and a number of residential blocks.
View is northeast from approximately the southwest corner of Victoria Avenue and 22nd Street to the Assiniboine River near 1st Street. Photograph shows the College campus, Kinsmen Stadium, residential blocks, downtown and the railway tracks.
View is northwest from the 400 block of 18th Street to the corner of 23rd Street and Rosser Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon College campus (Flora Cowan Hall under construction) and residential blocks.
View is northwest from approximately the corner of 18th Street and Louise Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon College campus after the completion of Flora Cowan Hall.
Notes
BUPC 2.1.24 is a smaller version of this photograph.
The bottom right hand corner has been torn off. Both portions of the photograph are stored together.
Scope and Content
View is northwest from approximately 17th Street and Victoria Avenue. Photograph shows: the Brandon College campus and the Kinsmen Park and baseball diamond. Taken during construction of Flora Cowan Hall but before the Gymnasium was built.
View is north, taken from approximatley 19th Street and Rosser Avenue. Photograph shows: Clark Hall, the A.E. McKenzie Building, the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre, H-Huts, Darrach Hall and Flora Cowan Hall, as well as a number of homes in the area.
View is northwest from approximately the corner of 18th Street and Louise Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon College campus after the completion of Flora Cowan Hall.
Notes
BUPC 2.1.20 is a larger version of this photograph.
Image is looking east northeast from approximately the 300 block of 23rd Street between Lorne and Louise Avenues. Photograph shows the Brandon College campus after the opening of the original Music Building in 1963, but before the construction of the Education Building in 1966. A number of house on the 300 blocks of 22nd and 21st Streets are visible in the foreground, with the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co., the Prince Edward Hotel and various grain elevators on the horizon.
View is east from approximatley 22nd Street between Lorne and Louise Avenues. Photograph shows: Darrach Hall, Flora Cowan Hall and the Citizens' Science Building, as well as a number of homes in the area.
Image shows the Brandon College campus from 17th Street looking southwest. The photo was taken after the completion of the original Music Building in 1963, but construction of the Education Building. Also visible are a number of properties on the 200 block of 18th Street and the 200 block of 20th Street.
View is west to McDiarmid Drive from approximately 16th Street between Princess and Louise Avenues. Photograph shows: Brandon College, Fleming School, Coronation Park, and West End Community Centre.
View is northwest from the corner of 18th Street and Louise Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon College campus, the Steam Plant and Kinsmen Stadium. Flora Cowan Hall is under construction.
View is east northeast from approximately 22nd Street between Lorne and Louise Avenues. Photograph shows: Brandon College (before planting of trees in quadrangle and before the Education Building), McKenzie Seeds, Prince Edward Hotel, Central United (St. Paul's) Church, St. Augustine's Church.
A.E. McKenzie was born in Wilcox Lake, York County, Ontario in 1870 to F.B. and Maria (Carley) McKenzie. His family came to Manitoba in 1883. He was educated in Brandon, Manitoba and graduated from the Collegiate Institute at age 21. In 1897 he founded the Brandon Seed House. McKenzie was present at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of Brandon College on Juy 13, 1900. From that moment on, he was very involved in the College, first as an interested businessman, and later as a member of its Board of Directors. In 1902, McKenzie married Laura Bell in Port Arthur. They had two daughters, Marjorie Bell and Kathleen. In 1906 the Brandon Seed House was incorporated and from then on was known as the "A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd.."
McKenzie became a member of the Brandon College Endowment Committee in 1918. The following year he was on the Finance Committee. By 1925, McKenzie was a member of the Board of Directors. In 1928, he was part of a syndicate that advised the Baptist Union that they were developing an endowment plan to provide continuing financial support to the College and talked the Union into providing $10 000 towards the accumulated deficit.
In 1931, McKenzie organized the Brandon Board of Trade to help save Brandon College when the Baptists said they could no longer afford to keep the College. After the By-law failed, he helped to organize the Brandon Citizen’s Campaign to raise enough money so that the College could open the following year.
When the Baptists withdrew support in 1938, McKenzie was one of the central figures on the Brandon Board of Trade that decided to save the College from closure. A representative delegation from Southwestern Manitoba of over 60 men descended upon Premier Bracken’s office to try and convince him to help the College. On June 12, 1938 McKenzie said he would set up a $100 000 endowment to Brandon College. He subsequently raised this amount to $300 000. On August 1, 1938 the Board of Trade launched a campaign to raise $15 000 to match what the government was prepared to offer the College. McKenzie was asked to provide Brandon College with $3000 personally. In September of 1938, McKenzie upped his endowment once more to $500 000. The fund raising worked however, and the chater establishing Brandon College Incorporated was assented to on April 17, 1939. On June 6, 1939 a by-law was again presented to the citizens of Brandon, and fortunately it passed.
In 1941, McKenzie received an honorary L.L.D. from the University of Manitoba. The A.E. McKenzie Foundation was created in 1945 by the provincial government, who had assumed 90% of the A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. stock.
On September 25, 1964 McKenzie died at the age of 94. He never retired, but worked full time until two weeks before his death. The funeral was held in the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre. The Arts and Library Building at Brandon College was completed in 1960, and is known as the A.E. McKenzie building, in honour of the man who contributed so much time, effort and financial help to the College during a crucial period in its history.
Custodial History
Records were accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
A.E. McKenizie’s records in the Brandon College fonds are very useful from an administrative point of view. Because McKenzie was so involved in Brandon College from the very beginning until his death in 1964, it is easy to understand how the College Administration arrived at decisions. There is correspondence between McKenzie and various regarding College and Board of Director business. There are Brandon College financial statements and letters regarding the A.E. McKenzie Foundation. The records contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets and lists of names of members of various Brandon organizations. As well, McKenzie has letters regarding Building Expansion in the 1940’s and minutes of Board of Director meetings. There are also several photographs. One photograph is the 1919 graduation picture of Zoe Hough. Another is tentatively identified as Frances Wolverton, also of the Class of 1919. There are two more photographs of unidentified young women.
