Martin Wesley Johns was born to missionary parents Alfred and Myrtle Johns in Chengtu, West China on March 23, 1913. The family returned to Canada in 1925. Johns attended high schools in Tacoma, Washington; Vancouver, BC; Brandon, Manitoba; and Exeter, Ontario. He studied at Brandon College from 1928-1931 before obtaining his B.A. (1932) and M.A. (1934) from McMaster University and his Ph.D. From the University of Toronto (1938). From 1937-1946, he taught physics at Brandon College. In 1972, Brandon University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Johns served in the Canadian Officers Training Corps (C.O.T.C.) in 1940-1941 doing research concerned with neutron physics at Chalk River. In 1947, he joined the Physics Department at McMaster University, where he remained for the remainder of his career.
Johns married Margaret Mary Hilborn on July 15, 1939. Together they have four children: Robert, Elizabeth, Kenneth and Kathryn. Following Margaret's death c. 1979, Johns was married to Elsie North for twenty years. At the age of 90, Johns fell in love with his sweetheart Marian Thompson.
Martin Wesley Johns died on September 18, 2008 at McMaster Hospital.
Custodial History
The notebooks in accession 17-2007 were in the possession of Wesley Wong, former member of the Physics Department at Brandon College, who mailed them to Martin Johns in 2002. Wong suggested Johns donate them to the McKee Archives, which he did on January 28, 2004. The photographs in accession 8-2009 were sent to Carla Eisler, Alumni Relations Officer, Brandon University by Ken Johns (Martin Johns' son) following Martin's death. Eisler transfered them to the Archives in February 2009.
Scope and Content
Accession 17-2007 contains two lab record notebooks used by Martin Johns while he was a member of Brandon College's Department of Physics. The notebooks record class lists, grades, absences, and seating charts for courses Johns taught, as well as regulations for lab reports and major assignments.
Accession 8-2009 contains twenty-one black and white photographs dealing with Brandon College students, faculty and buildings. There a a few photographs of Brandon, as well as one of the Queen Mother from her visit to Brandon in 1939.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Martin W. Johns bio file in the Archives reading room.
See fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
This artificially created sub-series consists of documents and correspondence pertaining to MPE's acquisition of private companies. The records include the following:
1. Kenmore Industries 1959-1977
2. Seed Plant 1945-1971
3. Northern Canadian Seed Sales Ltd. 1947-1971
4. Fairway Milling and Grain Co. 1970-1971
5. Terminal #2 – Horne Elevator 1937-1977
6. Douglas Depot 1968-1972
7. Ogilvie – Lake of the Woods Purchase 1955-1961
8. Western Canada Elevators 1940
9. Northern Canadian Seed Sales Ltd. 1965-1970
10. Westland Elevators Limited
11. Kenmore Industries Share Certificates 1959-1975
12. Gillespie Grain Company Ltd. 1935-1944
Kenmore Industries Minute Book 1959-1975
13. Burns Foods Ltd. (Pool Packers Ltd. Purchase) 1969-1971
