Marion (Marionne) Louise Scott was born January 13, 1913 at Ste. S, Parkview Block, Brandon, MB to Annie Louisa Lawson and David Henry (Harry) Scott. She attended St. Michael's Academy and Brandon College (Arts, Class of 1933), graduating with a teching certificate. At some point following her graduation she moved to Toronto, living with her Aunt and Uncle Olive and Keith Murphy, while working for Massey Harris. Eventually Marionne became Private Secretary to the president James Duncan. She also worked with E.P. Taylor and Colonel Phillips during her duration with the company.
Marionne met her husband Robert (Roy) Warden Jamieson through friends at the Parkdale Canoe Club, which is now the Boulevard Club on Lakeshore Avenue in Toronto. They were married on December 26, 1944. Following their retirement, Marionne and Roy spent their winters in Florida.
Marionne Scott Jamieson died on July 20, 1990 in Mississauga Ontario. Both she and her husband are buried in Park Lawn Cemetery at Bloor Street and Prince Edward Drive in west Toronto.
A number of the individuals identified in the photographs are members of Marionne's extended family or friends. Basic biographical information for both side of her family are below. Additional biographical information on the Lawson and Scott families is available at the McKee Archives.
Maternal relatives:
William Lawson was born c. 1849 in Markham Township, Ontario where his parents had settled from England. In September 1875 he married Alice Brunskill (born c. 1854) in Buttonville, Ontario. The couple settled on a farm at Aurora, Ontario before come west in 1892. Lawson and his family settled in the Hayfield district south of Brandon where he farmed until c. 1916. During his farming years, Lawson made a number of trips to Scotland and Ireland for the Manitoba government to secure immigrants. After retiring from farming, Lawson became an agent for the Manufaturers' Life Insurance Company. Lawson's brother, Reverend Thomas Lawson, organized the first Methodist congregation in Brandon.
William Lawson and Alice Brunskill had seven children:
William Ernest (married Maragret Louise Conling 23/11/1904 in Souris, MB)
Clarkson Brunskill (married Florence?)
Annie Louisa (married David Henry (Harry) Scott 29/06/1910 in Brandon, MB)
Alice May (married Arthur Ferrier Valens 27/06/1912 in Winnipeg, MB)
Fred J. (married Lottie C. Gibb 18/04/1906 in Selkirk, MB)
Frank Hill (married Cora Ethel Cunningham 11/03/1914 in Oakland)
Olive Gertrude (married William Keith Murphy 25/12/1923 in Brandon, MB)
Paternal relatives:
David Hunter Scott was born in 1851 in Brampton, Ontario. After completing his education he became a telegraph operator and then deputy postmaster for his hometown. In 1873, he moved to Manitoba, settling at Meadow Lea, where he took up a homestead. After fifteen years engaged in farming, Scott moved on to become a representitve for an implement manufacturing company. In 1892, he moved to Brandon to become manager of the Brandon Times newspaper. Four years later he founded D.H. Scott and Son, a real estate and insurance business he operated with his son David Henry until his death in September 1943.
David Hunter Scott married Anne Jane Lipsett (born 1854) of Meadow Lea, MB on May 24, 1876. Together they had ten children:
John Frederick
Robert Wesley
David Henry (Harry) (married Annie Louise Lawson 26/06/1910 in Brandon, MB)
William James
Caroline (married Christopher Russell Heise)
Annie Louise (married Alexander Ferguson (died 1927), married Nettleton Whitby Kerr)
Mary Emaline (married David Gordon Bawtinheimer)
Lillian Georgina (died August 9, 1931)
Josiah Aikens (died during World War I)
Reginald Jacob (married Norma May Hughes 16/08/1915 (Reginald died during World War I))
Custodial History
The photograph album and graduate's book were sent to Alumni Relations by Ruth L. Murphy on March 31, 2004. Both items had been in the possession of Marionne Scott, passing to her husband Robert Jamieson upon her death. When Jamieson died the items came into the possession of Ruth Murphy, whose husband was Marionne's first cousin. Carla Eisler, Alumni Relations, transfered the photograph album to the Archives on January 15, 2008, and the graduate book on January 8, 2009.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a photograph album created by Marionne Scott. The majority of the photographs cover the period 1926-1933, and are of family members, friends, and classmates at both St. Michael's Academy and Brandon College. They were taken in Brandon and at a number of other locations that Marionne visited. There are three loose photographs, taken by R.M. Coleman, that were taken at the wedding of Vivian Eva? and Reginald Stanley Stark, June 7th, 1941 at St. Matthews Cathedral and the Prince Edward Hotel.
The graduate's book consists of notes, signatures, newsclippings, photographs, programs, convocation documents, graduation cards, reunion descriptions and the 1932 general information booklet for Brandon College.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Brandon Daily Sun, the 1901 and 1911 Canadian Census, the Manitoba Vital Statistics website, and the Brandon Cemetery website. Additional biographical information provided by Ruth Murphy. Description by Christy Henry.
Sub-series consists of four scrapbooks detailing life at Clark Hall and Brandon College. They include newspaper clippings, photographs, cards, various programs and ephemera.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
See MG 1 Brandon College Teaching and Administration, 1.11 Martin Johns fonds for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photograph is looking northwest from 18th Street and shows the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall. There are a number of handmade election signs on the buildings.
See MG 1 Brandon College Teaching and Administration, 1.11 Martin Johns fonds for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photograph is looking southwest from 18th Street and shows Clark Hall and the Brandon College Building with the Citizens' Science Building partially visible on the lefthand side of the photo.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photo reads: "Brandon College and boys' res. is joined to Clark Hall" "from Marion(?)/Marvin(?) McLure(?)"
Item is a scrapbook created by Ernestine Whiteside during her years as Lady Principal of Clark Hall, the women's residence at Brandon College. Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook created by Ernestine Whiteside during her years as Lady Principal of Clark Hall, the women's residence at Brandon College. Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook begun by Ernestine Whiteside during her years as Lady Principal of Clark Hall, the women's residence at Brandon College, and continued by successive Deans of Women Olive Wilkins (1919-1925), Jane (Jennie) Turnbull (1926-1927) and Annie (Evans) Wright (1927-1934). Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook begun by Annie (Evans) Wright during her years as Dean of Women at Brandon College (1927-1934) and continued by her successors D. Werthenbach (1934-1935), Marjorie McKenzie (1935-1936) and Sarah Persis Darrach (1937-1953). Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook created by Sarah Persis Darrach during her years as Dean of Women at Brandon College. Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook created by Sarah Persis Darrach during her years as Dean of Women at Brandon College. Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Item is a scrapbook created by Sarah Persis Darrach during her years as Dean of Women at Brandon College. Scrapbook contains photographs, cards, programs, newspaper clippings and ephemera that document the lives and activities of Brandon College students.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Clark Hall was built in 1906 as a women’s residence. The name comes from Dr. C.W. Clark, a physician who believed that women should be as highly educated as possible. To that end, he donated $30 000 of the $40 000 dollars needed to construct the building. The residence opened on October 18, 1906 with Miss Ernestine R. Whiteside presiding as Lady Principal.
With the building of Clark Hall came new departments geared towards young women. A Music and Arts department was started, as was a Physical Culture and Expression department. The residence was soon full, and in 1911 the first Clark Hall Annex was created to house 25 women who could not get into Clark Hall proper. This annex was located at 1335 Lorne Ave., and it is still in existence today. The second Clark Hall Annex, that replaced the first, was located on Louise Ave. It is also still standing, and is now an apartment building.
LADY PRINCIPALS/DEAN OF WOMEN:
ERNESTINE ROBERTA WHITESIDE (1906-1918)
Miss Whiteside was born in 1876. She graduated from McMaster University in 1898. In 1906 she was hired as the first Lady Principal of Clark Hall. She served this post capably and was greatly admired by all who met her. In 1918 she resigned as Lady Principal to assume headship of Moulton College in Toronto. She resigned from Moulton in 1930 due to uncertain health. Miss Whiteside was a Board Member of the Women’s Baptist Missionary Society, as well as being editor of “The Link and Visitor”. She was the corresponding secretary for the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada from 1939 to 1949. Miss Whiteside resigned the editorship of “The Link and Visitor” in 1956. On June 14, 1960, she died in Toronto.
OLIVE A.C. WILKINS (1919-1925)
Olive Agnes Cross was born on June 17, 1891 in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. She received her B.A. from McMaster in 1912. She married Thomas Russell Wilkins on June 17, 1913. Mrs. Wilkins accepted the position of Lady Principal of Clark Hall in 1919. She also was retained as an English Teacher. Mrs. Wilkins resigned in 1925. On May 13, 1937, she died rather suddenly. Mrs. Wilkins personal files are located in the Brandon College Teaching and Administration series.
JANE (JENNIE) TURNBULL (1926-1927)
Jennie Turnbull was born c.1896. She was educated at Brandon Central School and the Brandon Collegiate Institute. Miss Turnbull entered Brandon College in 1911. She graduated with her B.A. in 1915, and followed this with her M.A. in 1916. After taking a Normal Course in Regina, Miss Turnbull returned to join the Brandon College faculty as instructor in French in 1918. She studied at La Sorbonne in Paris during the years 1921 and 1922. Miss Turnbull spent parts of 1919, 1920, 1926, and all of 1927 and 1928 at the University of Chicago, where she secured her Ph.D. During the school year 1926-1927, Miss Turnbull served as Dean of Women (formerly known as Lady Principal). She was a very well-travelled individual, and she was the author of Essential Traits of French-Canadian Poetry. In 1963 Miss Turnbull moved to British Columbia, where she died on December 30, 1966. During the time that Miss Turnbull taught at Brandon College, she was an integral part of the college community. She was responsible for the formation of a French Club, and served on various committees and boards with great skill.
ANNIE (EVANS) WRIGHT (1927-1934)
Miss Annie Evans was born on December 29, 1881 in Derbyshire, England. She moved with her family to Canada around 1889. She taught school before entering the Brandon College Business Training Department in 1908. In 1909, Miss Evans was given a position in the Business and Academic Department of the College. In 1915, she married the music professor, Dr. William L. Wright. In 1926, Mrs. Wright received her B.A. degree from Brandon College. She followed that with her M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1927. From 1927 until 1934, Mrs. Wright served as the Dean of Women. From 1927 until 1945, she was employed as a professor of English. She moved to Robson, B.C. with her husband, where she lived until her death in 1959. She was the older sister of Dr. J.R.C. Evans.
DOROTHY WERTHENBACH (1934-1935)
Miss Werthenbach received her early education in Minnesota and Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of Alberta with Honours in History. She took up the profession of teaching. She was an instructor at the Indian Residential School before she accepted the position of Dean of Women in the fall of 1934. She also taught grade 12 History at the College. Miss Werthenbach left Brandon College in 1935, after having spent one year as the Dean of Women. From 1931-1934 she served on the Executive of the Brandon Art Club, including a year as President (1933-1934). At some point after leaving Brandon, Miss Werthenbach married C.G. Nelson and relocated to Calgary. She and her husband had three, possibly four children. Mrs. Nelson died in a plane crash at Moose Jaw.
MARJORIE B. MCKENZIE (1935-1936)
Miss McKenzie was born in Brandon and was a graduate of Brandon Collegiate and Brandon College. She received her B.E. degree from the Columbia College of Expression in Chicago, and her M.Sc. in speech from Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois. From 1927 to 1930 she was Instructor in Dramatic Art at Brandon College. She resigned to do post-graduate work. In 1935, Miss McKenzie returned as Instructor of Public Speaking in the Theological Department and Dean of Women in Clark Hall. Miss McKenzie resigned as Dean of Women after one year at the post.
SARAH PERSIS DARRACH (1936-1953)
Miss Persis Johnson was born in Rosscarberry, Ireland on February 8, 1886. She was educated in both Ireland and Canada, graduating from the Brandon General Hospital nurses program in 1911. She did her postgraduate work in Chicago. Miss Johnson was the assistant matron at Brandon General Hospital when she left for overseas in 1914 to serve in the war. Miss Johnson enlisted in the Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force on May 12, 1915 in London, England. She was overseas until 1918, stationed in both England and France. While there, Miss Johnson was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 2nd class, and the Royal Red Cross, 1st class, the latter of which was awarded to her in 1919 by the Prince of Wales during his visit to Brandon. She became the fourth superintendent of nurses at Brandon General Hospital. Sometime during the 1920’s, Miss Johnson married Robert Darrach, who was on the Brandon College Board of Directors. In 1934, she was named a member of the Order of the British Empire (Civilian) for her tireless effort doing charity work. In 1936 she accepted the position of Dean of Women at Brandon College. She served in this post until 1953. In 1971, Brandon College awarded her an honourary L.L.D. Darrach Hall, the Men’s Residence on the Brandon University campus, was named for her. Mrs. Darrach died on September 25, 1974.
FLORA COWAN (1953-1967)
Mrs. Flora Cowan was born on July 15, 1902 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of Adam and Helen Cruickshank. She married E.C. Cowan, and they had two children, Franklin and Ruth. From 1953 until Brandon College became Brandon University, she served as the Dean of Women. In 1966 she received the good Citizenship Award of the Golden Boys of Manitoba. She was a member of the I.O.D.E. and a life-member of the International Peace Garden, and the Provincial Council of Women. From 1954 to 1970 Mrs. Cowan served as a member of the Brandon City Council. She was also the Chairman of the Board for Fairview Home, Inc. In 1967, Mrs. Cowan received the Trillium Business and Professional Club Woman of the Year Award. She was also a member of several other community committees. The women’s residence at Brandon University, Flora Cowan, is named for her. In December 1980, Mrs. Cowan finally retired from her many positions. She died in Brandon on September 25, 1986 at the age of 84.
Scope and Content
The records from this series are mainly concentrated in the early years of Clark Hall. Miss Whiteside kept several journals that depict a very in-depth look at college life for young women in the early twentieth century. These records include: a Commonplace book, in which Miss Whiteside kept detailed accounts of the resident women and what was happening in Clark Hall; a “Saturday” book, which describes what she discussed at the meeting she held with the resident women every Saturday; Scrapbooks, which have programs and pictures detailing the everyday life of a College woman. These records are an invaluable source of information on the education of young women at the turn of the century. As well, Mrs. Wilkins files located in the Brandon College Teaching and Learning files give an excellent account of life at Clark Hall.
The series also contains copies of Clark Hall calendars for 1909-1925. There is also one undated calendar, which may be from 1911-1912.
Notes
The original accession number for the Clark Hall calendars is RP80-45. A copy of the program for the memorial service held at First Baptist Church October 1974 for Sarah Persis Darrach is located in her biography file in the Reading Room.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Related Material
MG 1 1.9 Sarah Persis Darrach fonds
Maureen Johnson collection (10-2009)
Accession 0104 Brandon University Art Collection, portrait of C.W. Clark M.D. painted by Henrietta Hancock. The portrait currently hangs in the McKee Archives. A brief biographical note concerning Clark appears with the portrait.
Arrangement
Series has been divided into four sub-series, including: (1) Clark Hall commonplace book, saturday book and chronicle; (2) Clark Hall scrapbooks 1907-1953; (3) Clark Hall calendars 1909 -1925; and (4) Clark Hall student council minutes 1928-1935
Thomas Russell Wilkins was born in Toronto in 1891. He received his B.A. from McMaster University in 1912, and became the Science Master at Woodstock College the following year. In 1916, he and his wife Olive moved to Chicago, where Wilkins was an instructor of Physics at the University of Chicago. The next year he served as a master signal electrician in the U.S. Signal Corps. During World War I, Wilkins completed pioneer research for the United States Navy, which led to the development of pulse sonar devices in the 1920s. He had also been researching the possibilities of a wireless telephone.
Wilkins and his wife moved to Brandon in 1918, where he took up the position of Professor of Physics. During his time at Brandon College, Wilkins introduced the latest technology to classrooms, designed the original Science Building, and along with the Brandon Citizen's Committee, seucured building funds for the Citizen's Science Building.
Receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1921, Wilkins resigned from Brandon College in 1925 to pursue postgraduate study at Cambridge University. In 1926, he began research at the University of Rochester, where he also took up the position of Professor of Physics. From 1930 to 1938, he acted as the Director of the Institute of Optics.
Widely known for his work in the fields of cosmic rays and atomic disintegration, in April 1939, Wilkins announced the perfection of a camera that was able to record the "footprints" of invisible atoms after they collide. In October 1939, he received a medal from the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain recognizing his work regarding the use of photographic emulsions in the study of radium. The following year, Wilkins perfected a camera that could determine the energy levels inside the nuclei of stable chemical elements. He received a grant from Sigma Xi, the National Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research, in November of 1940.
Wilkins married twice. The first marriage, to Olive Anges Cross took place on June 17, 1913. Olive Wilkins died suddenly on May 13, 1937, at the age of 45. Wilkins married Susan Gwendolyn Whidden, the daughter of former Brandon College president Dr. H.P. Whidden, in 1938.
Thomas Russell Wilkins died suddenly of a heart attack on December 10, 1940, on his way back to his laboratory after a faculty meeting. He was 49 years old.
Custodial History
Records were accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
T. Russell Wilkins’ reocrds contain correspondence between himself and Mrs. Wilkins and Dr. Whidden concerning their employment with Brandon College. There are letters between the two men regarding the building of the Science Building in 1920. There is also a copy of the Canadian Baptist. Besides programmes and a picture, there is also correspondence between various people. Dr. Wilkins kept the papers he had written for various classes at McMaster University in the years 1911 and 1912. There is a "toast to the ladies" that he delivered at a banquet of some sort, that gives an interesting view on how Wilkins, and possibly other men of his time, viewed women. There are numerous newspapers clippings, and several pages taken from journals such as Popular Mechanics, Popular Electricity and others. Dr. Wilkins was at the top of his field of study. He was an extremely bright man who managed to create some very useful tools of science. His papers are interesting and informative to read.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from Campus News May 1990
Carole Paintin-Dence was raised in Souris, Manitoba and attended Brandon College in the early 1960s. While at Brandon College she was active in the Glee Club, I.R.C. and French Clubs. She was also Quill reporter for the Music Department.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of a small collection of Brandon College memorabilia and slides. The memorabilia includes programs from various Brandon College Student Association events, Alumni News, and a copy of "The New Brandon College School of Music" by Peggy Sharpe. The slide images include: the opening of the Music Building 1963 (3) - Sir Ernest MacMillan, Lady MacMillan and Lorne Watson; raising the class flag 1964 (2); the JRC Evans Lecture Theatre 1964 (1); Brandon College Original Building 1964 (1); Freshie Parade 1962 (1) - glee club float and 1963 (3) - "wedding of Jack & Jill"; French Immersion class Summer 1964 (4) - Mme Ragot, Neil Forsyth, Henri Francq; party for John 1963 (2) - Ken May, Morlene Sparrow, John Sushelnitsky, Norma Walmsley, Poppy Cumming, Chris Cassels, Pat Brake, Eleanor Riesberry; W.U.S. parties (4) - Joan Garnett, Norma Walmsley, Claude Paintin, Brian Foster, Rae Westcott, Clark Brownlee, Nina Kosakawiecz, Berth Paintin
Collection also includes school texts and pedagogical guides - forty-seven in total - dealing with reading, spelling, social studies and particularly music.
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.
Esther Moore was born in Norfolk, Nebraska and moved to Canada at age 3. There is a vague reference to her being related to the composer Dvorak in The Quill of 1913. She registered as a music student at Brandon College in 1909. In 1910, Miss Moore received a medal for sight-reading and accompanying in Edmonton. She took her examinations of the Toronto Conservatory of Music in 1910, and her Senior examinations in 1911. She completed her theory work in 1913, as well as finishing the academic requirements. In 1913, Esther Moore became the first graduate of the Music department at Brandon College. After graduation, Miss Moore taught music in Unity, as well as being the choirleader and organist. She returned to her home in Olds, Alberta for a rest from teaching. However, she was not idle for long. She took up teaching again, and she was the organist and choirleader at church. She also began a Glee Club. Between these responsibilities Miss Moore finished a course in the Household Science Department at the Olds Agricultural College. She returned to Brandon College to take postgraduate work, becoming the first Brandon College student to receive her L.T.C.M. in 1916. In 1922 Miss Moore began to teach piano at Brandon College. She received her Bachelor of Music in 1925, and her Master of Music in 1926.
Custodial History
Records were accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Esther Moore’s records consist of newspaper clippings, recital programmes, concert programmes, and commencement programmes. As well, there are dance cards, invitations, tickets, and the programme for the annual Graduation Banquet for several years. There are Track and Field programmes and a ribbon. There are also Alumni Luncheon programmes for a few years. There is an issue of The Western Baptist from 1926, and the programmes for the installation of Dr. Robbins as President and the opening of the Arts and Library building and the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre in 1960. There is also a letter from William L. Wright, director of the music department at Brandon College.
Edith Mary Laycock was born on June 25, 1913. She attended Brandon Collegiate from 1929 until her graduation in 1931. Ms. Laycock attended Brandon College from 1931-1934, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1935, she attended the Wheat City Business College and graduated from the Stenographic Course. Ms. Laycock was employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a stenographer for many years and belonged to the Canadian Pacific Expressmen's Mutual Benefit Society from 1939.
Edith Laycock was very interested in drama. While attending Brandon Collegiate and Brandon College she participated in school and college plays. She was involved in drama and theatre throughout her aadult life. Edith Laycock directed many of Brandon College's major productions beginning in 1950. She was also the director of many of the plays put on by the Brandon Little Theatre from 1950. Ms. Laycock also performed in the Little Theatre productions when she was not directing.
Ms. Laycock was also involved in many other elements of Brandon life. She served alternatively as the vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and production manager of the Little Theatre throughout the 1940's and 1950's. She was the Social Manager for the Brandon Festival Committee in 1948, the Publicity Chairperson for the Brandon Music Festival Association in the 1950's, and the Secretary of the Brandon Overture Concert Association. Laycock also wrote play reviews for the Brandon Sun in the 1950's. She was the director of the Manitoba Delta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. In the 1960's Laycock was a member of the Brandon Council of Women and Chairperson of its Arts and Letters Committee. She was also the Vice-President of the Brandon Art Club in 1960. Edith Laycock also held a 12-week class in creative dramatics for children at the Allied Arts Centre in the early 1960's.
Edith Laycock died in Brandon on December 17, 1987.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of memorabilia kept by Edith Laycock. A large part of the collection consists of programs from plays that Laycock performed in or directed during the 1950's and 1960's. There are also numerous newspaper clippings about Laycock's plays including reviews, pictures, and advertisements. This collection also includes a folder of programs from the Brandon Little Theatre productions in the 1950's, as well as clippings about the Little Theatre. There are also numerous articles about miscellaneous drama and art events throughout Brandon, Manitoba, and Canada. The fonds also includes Laycock's daybook from 1962, and travel notes from Laycock's 1952 trip to Great Britain and Europe. The latter contains a passenger list for the Empress of Scotland, August 5, 1952. The collection further includes Canadian Pacific Railway passes dating from 1947-1963 and a copy of the Canadian Pacific Pension Plan. Fonds also contains material from the various organizations that Laycock was involved with including the Brandon Council of Women and Beta Sigma Phi. Fonds includes 12 photos that appear to be family photos from Laycock's childhood. Finally, the fonds contains various copies of plays that Laycock performed in or directed.
