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.
Robert Harvey's portrait has come loose of the backing. Matting is torn at base.
History / Biographical
John B. Cole, who operated Cole's Photographic Studio, first at 656 15th Street and then at 831 Rosser Avenue, was a photographer in Brandon from c. 1911 to c. 1914.
Scope and Content
Item consists of eleven oval shaped portraits of the members of Brandon College's graduating class of 1913. L to R: Lillian Wilhelmina Speers; Robert Harvey; James Robinson, Muriel Vivien McCamis; Tom Hare Harris; Leslie Alberta Ward; J.R.C. Evans; Evelyn J. Simpson; W.E. Wilkin; Archibald Gordon; and Constance Gunn.
Photograph shows a portrait of an elderly woman with crimped hair and wearing classes. The woman has been identified as Elma Hughes, wife of Willard J. Hughes.
Photograph shows an elderly couple posing for a formal portrait. The woman is wearing a black crepe dress. The man, who is bearded but not mustached, is wearing a black jacket.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Mrs. L. O'Neil?
Bottom left corner of the matting is missing. There is discoloration in the top right corner.
Scope and Content
Composite of the members of the Brandon College Matriculation Class of 1917 and their class motto "Abeunt In Recors Studia."
Front Row (L to R): C.L. Strachan; H. Coram; N. Bilasz; H.A. Robertson; M. Gibson; and G. Clarke.
Second Row (L to R): C. Molberg; G.B. Craig (C. President); D.R. Wilkie; and K. Moffat.
Third Row (L to R): E. Irwin; J.R. Evans (Principal, B.A.); Dr. Whidden (President, M.A.); and L.M. Coutts.
Fourth Row (L to R): J. Olson; J.S. Peterson; A. Livingstone; and M. Thomson.
Bottom Row (L to R): A.G. Douglas; B. Hall; P. Red; J. Hindorff; E. Maley; and J. Wiklund.
Photograph was donated to the McKee Archives by Sydney Pechet.
Scope and Content
Item consists of portraits of the members of the Brandon College Graduation Class Arts 30.
Top Row (L to R): M.N. Brooks; W.L. McFarland; C.McNeil; Professor C.F. Richards (Hon. Class Pres.); T. Douglas; G.D. Wilkie; and R. McLachlan.
Second Row (L to R): M.H. Dunkin; E.M. Fidler; M.R. McDonald; I.E. Shanks; A.E. Cameron; and J. Leslie.
Third Row (L to R): M.M. Evans; E.W. Morrison; M. Maltman; C.B. Wicklund; Dr. J.R.C. Evans (Pres. Brandon College); S.H. Knowles; J. Hitchings; T.B. Stoodley; and R.E. Bingham.
Last Row (L to R): G.W. Brown; R.A. Clement; W.F. Westcott; R.W. Sharpe; W.A. Stevens; A.H. Clark; A.G. Robertson; J.P. Odin; and S. Pechet
The middle of the photograph was bent at one time and there is some damage to the matting.
Custodial History
Photograph was donated by Betty Gibson.
Scope and Content
Item consists of portraits of the members of Brandon College Arts Class of 1931 taken in 1928, their motto “Carpe Diem,” and photographs of Prof. H.R. Jolliffee (Honorary President), the College campus, and J.R.C. Evans (Dean of Arts).
Top Row (L to R): L. Umphrey; O. Morrison; A.C. Fromme; W. Steinhauer; W.M. Beer; C.M. Dunkin; W.P. Dutton (Class Pres.); B.M. Gibson; C.H. Spearin; I.E. Zink; R.A. Dowling; I. Robertson; and V. Laughton.
Second Row (L to R): L.C. Bulman; R.E. Vasey; K.A. Barnwell; R.F. Eamer; F.R. McLeod; D. Wright; A.L. MacArthur (Sec.Treas); M. Stewart (Vice Pres.); M.A. Shepley; S. Bateman; J.G. Miles; A.H. Houssain; and W.G. Robertson.
Third Row (L to R): J. Kilgour; R. Harris; H. McDowell; M. Draper; R. Pritchard; H. Vaisler; D.R. Morris; and N.E. Todd.
Fourth Row (L to R): C.A. McNeil; H. LaMontagne; A.E. Marshall; D.R. McLeod; H. Young; G. Aylesworth; G. Heywood; and G. Fulcher.
Fifth Row (L to R): O. McDiarmid; R. Wright; W. Harwood; E. Stott; R.H. White; A.J. Cameron; M.E. Armstrong; and J.A. Girvin.
Sixth Row (L to R): H.J. Fraser; R.C. Lundgren; M.E. Henderson; N. Spearin; A. Kennette; H.K. Scott; H.G. Tolton; M. Fitton; W.G. Dick; L.R. Gainer; J.T. Condell; and E.N. Reid.
Bottom Row (L to R): G. Scott; D. Campbell; J. Harwood; H. Ball; G.R. Easter; C.I. Hitchings; R.S. McGill; F. Cater; J.P. Buss; J.M. Cowell; E.W. Shaw; M.A. Bremner; and A.W. Mott.
At one point the photograph may have belonged to S. Louise Wickstrom, who attended Brandon College in the 1920s. The photograph came into possession of the Alumni Office at Brandon University. The Alumni Office transfered it to the McKee Archives in July 2009.
Scope and Content
Item is a portrait of the students and faculty of Brandon College in 1921. Photograph was taken outdoors in front of the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall.
Notes
Writing on the back lists two Wickstroms: S.L. and N.O. Duplicate is BUPC 9.6
Tears around the edges, some staining over the entire piece (none of the photos are damaged)
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the members of Brandon College Class of 1943. Writing on the back reads "To Bill, from The Knowleton's, Happy Birthday 1976."
Notes
Cliff Kitson graduated Class of 1946, Ray Bailey graduated Class of 1945, Anna Hughes graduated Class of 1944, George Gooden graduated Class of 1942. S. Morris, M. Hughes, M. Bockie, A. Flemming, M. Fahrig did not graduate. W. Orr, G. Grant, W. Goodwin, A. Armstrong all served in World War II and did not graduate. A. Armstrong was killed on active service.
Image has some small cracks across the portrait on the bottom left
Custodial History
Image was donated by Dr. Keith Evans, son of JRC Evans and nephew of Annie Evans Wright.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the Brandon College Class of 1926.
Top row (L to R): Anita Grace Sallans; Ida Myrtle Eliason; Muriel Edith Jollow; Harriet Ada Spackman; Rose Jeane Vasey; Hon. Pres. JRC Evans; Margaret Kilgour; Myrtle Christina Evans; Edna Pearl Calverley; Eileen Muriel Ritchie; Annie Evans Wright
Bottom row (L to R): Samuel Ernest McDowell; Thomas Eric Stevens; William August Wenk; George Ralph Berquist; Joseph Lester Gayton; Joseph Clarence Hembling; Robert Hugh Wellwood; Arthur Macdonald Freeman; Harold Francis Batho; George Darragh; Theodore Charles Segsworth; Arthur Percival Macpherson
Photograph shows a multi-generational group of people standing outside in front of a wood-framed home. Individuals may possibly belong to the Hughes family.
Notes
Photograph stamped on the back: from the G. Marr Studio, Photos, Views, Frames, Crayon Portraits, &c., Strathroy, Ontario.