Dr. Sweet was born in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Denison University, Granville, Ohio in 1889. In 1892 he graduated from the Rochester Theological Seminary in Rochester, NY. His first pastorate was in Adrian, Michigan, where he was ordained. Dr. Sweet served ten years at the Calvary Church in Minneapolis. In 1920, Dr. Sweet was appointed to a committee by the Northern Convention to inquire into the loyalty of schools to the historic faith of the Baptists. Sweet received his Doctor of Divinity from Denison University in 1921. He worked for the Y.M.C.A. during World War I in the United States and Overseas. After Dr. Whidden retired in 1923, Dr. Sweet was offered the position of President of Brandon College. He accepted the offer and arrived in Brandon with his wife and six children on September 10, 1923. Mrs. Sweet was a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, and she had been a faculty member at Denison University. Dr. Sweet felt that Brandon was a call of God. He was inaugurated on October 11, 1923, and was readily accepted by students and faculty members alike.
His enthusiasm for fund raising was apparent, and he often took long trips in search of yet another subscription. He won the approval of the faculty, the students, the community and the Baptists. It was thought that Brandon College would prosper under the capable leadership of Dr. Sweet. Unfortunately, he died very suddenly at his home in Brandon on December 30, 1924. He was 55 years old. A funeral was held on January 3, 1925, and a memorial on January 7, 1925.
Scope and Content
Because of his short term of office, there are few papers left from Dr. Sweet. The collection includes invoices from Brandon College accounts, correspondence to and from the Bursar and Registrar, and Board of Director Meeting minutes. There is considerable correspondence from Dr. Sweet to various people regarding sermon topics, foreign missionary work, and his own faith. As well, Dr. Sweet was very conscious of the need for funds to run the College. He was very involved in the fundraising efforts of the College and the Baptists on behalf of Brandon College. There is also correspondence dealing with the MacNeill controversy in the early 1920’s.
Biographical information for Franklin W. Sweet can be found under RG 1 Brandon College fonds, BC 2 Office of the President.
Custodial History
It is suspected that Sweet's papers were left at Brandon College at the time of his death. They were transfered to the Archives with the Brandon College records in 1980, at the time of the creation of the Archives.
Scope and Content
The personal records of Dr. Sweet include sermon notes, newspaper clippings, and church bulletins. The collection, although small, is remarkable. Researchers wanting to study religion during the early Twentieth century will have no trouble finding out what the Baptist doctrine of the day was. The beliefs that Dr. Sweet held are evident in his sermons, as well as in the clippings that he kept. There are approximately fifty sermons that Dr. Sweet wrote, including the dates and places that he delivered them. These records are an excellent source of information regarding religion, faith, devotion and mankind in the 1920’s.
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.
Suffield, Alberta, is situated approximately 40km northwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. A few "large explosive events" (100 to 500 tons) were conducted at the Defence Research Board's (DRB) Suffield Experimental Station in the 1960s. On 19 January 1961, Medicine Hat citizens felt tremors in the community as a result of five tons of TNT being detonated at the station. The station director attributed this anomaly to freak atmospheric and weather conditions. At the time the DRB was testing the effects of shock waves on military equipment.
In July 1964, the Suffield Experimental Station detonated 30,600 blocks of TNT - 500 tons - to test the largest, non-nuclear, non-confined, surface blast. Placed in various sections radiating from ground zero to test the effects of the blast were targets, dummy-men, miscellaneous instruments, mines, model ships, nose cones, repirators, vehicles, subterranean chambers, shelters, tunnels, foxholes, and trenches. Several hundred people were expected to observe the blast, including 80 "official observers" and a VIP party of military and research personnel from Canada, the United States, and Britain.
(Sources: "Hellyer Heads VIP List Coming Here for SES Blast," Medicine Hat News, 09 July 1964, 7; Patrick J.Roe, "Blast Area Awaits a Cloudless Day," Medicine Hat News, 16 July 1964, 2; "Suffield Explosion Felt Here," Medicine Hat News, 19 January 1961, 7)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows observors waiting for a detonation at the Suffield Experimental Station. Camera operators can be seen on the right waiting to film the blast.
Harry Spafford (b. 22 Oct 1888, d. 10 May 1978) was born in Holmfield, Manitoba. He married Isabella Hawking of Ninga in 1914 and the couple moved to Brandon in 1915 where they continued to reside until 1973. Harry worked as a locomotive fireman and then as an engineer with the Canadian Northern Railway (CN). While with CN, he was an active member of the Brotherhood of Local Engineers and Firemen No. 788 of Brandon. He served as an alderman in Brandon from 1928 to 1945. In 1932, Harry ran in the Manitoba by-election for Brandon as an Independent Labour candidate and lost to the Conservative member George Dinsdale. In 1952, Harry ran as a Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member in the provincial election and lost to Conservative party representative Reg Lissaman. Harry Spafford passed away in Burnaby, BC, and is interred in the Ocean View Cemetery. (Source: see obituary in McG 4.1 File 66)
Alva/Alvery/"Alvie" Reddell/Riddell/Ridall Spafford (b. 15 Mar 1891, d. 23 Aug 1985) was born in Enterprise, Manitoba, in the R.M. of Turtle Mountain. In 1911, he married Francis Ethel Harrison (d. 1979) in Killarney and had three children. Alvie farmed in Bannerman from 1902 to 1936, after which he moved to Boissevain to work as a Rawleigh salesman. In 1942, the family moved to Brandon where Alvie worked as a conductor with the CNR until his retirement. Alva Spafford passed away at the age of 94 at the Brandon General Hospital. His funeral was held in Killarney, Manitoba. (Source: Obituary, Brandon Sun, 23 Aug 1985)
Scope and Content
Postcard is a studio portrait of the Spafford brothers. Alvie is seated, Harry is standing.
Notes
Writing on the front of the postcard reads: out of the past, Harry & Alvie Spafford, 1909 Winnipeg. The back of the postcard reads: Harry on left, Alvie on right, in our early, days, Railway.
Harry Spafford (b. 22 Oct 1888, d. 10 May 1978) was born in Holmfield, Manitoba. He married Isabella Hawking of Ninga in 1914 and the couple moved to Brandon in 1915 where they continued to reside until 1973. Harry worked as a locomotive fireman and then as an engineer with the Canadian Northern Railway (CN). While with CN, he was an active member of the Brotherhood of Local Engineers and Firemen No. 788 of Brandon. He served as an alderman in Brandon from 1928 to 1945. In 1932, Harry ran in the Manitoba by-election for Brandon as an Independent Labour candidate and lost to the Conservative member George Dinsdale. In 1952, Harry ran as a Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member in the provincial election and lost to Conservative party representative Reg Lissaman. Harry Spafford passed away in Burnaby, BC, and is interred in the Ocean View Cemetery. (Source: see obituary in McG 4.1 File 66)
Alva/Alvery/"Alvie" Reddell/Riddell/Ridall Spafford (b. 15 Mar 1891, d. 23 Aug 1985) was born in Enterprise, Manitoba, in the R.M. of Turtle Mountain. In 1911, he married Francis [sic.] Ethel Harrison (d. 1979) in Killarney and had three children. Alvie farmed in Bannerman from 1902 to 1936, after which he moved to Boissevain to work as a Rawleigh salesman. In 1942, the family moved to Brandon where Alvie worked as a conductor with the CNR until his retirement. Alva Spafford passed away at the age of 94 at the Brandon General Hospital. His funeral was held in Killarney, Manitoba. (Source: Obituary, Brandon Sun, 23 Aug 1985)
Scope and Content
Postcard is a studio portrait of the Spafford brothers. Harry is seated on the left, Alva ("Alvie") is standing with his right arm around his brother.
Notes
Writing on the front of the postcard reads: Harry on left, Harry & Alva Spafford, our early Railroad days in Winnipeg 1909 or 1910.
Mrs. Flora Cowan (1902-1986) was born on July 15, 1902 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of Adam and Helen Cruickshank and immigrated to Brandon with her parents in 1927. 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 and was the first woman to be appointed acting mayor. 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 in her honour. In December 1980, Mrs. Cowan finally retired from her many positions. She died in Brandon on September 25, 1986 at the age of 84.
Photograph shows a group of individuals posing with Queen Elizabeth II. Fred McGuinness is standing behind the Queen.
Notes
Behind the photograph is a letter dated 15 November 1984 to Fred McGuinness, Brandon, Manitoba, from Michael B. Decter, Clerk of the Executive Council, Cabinet Secretary, re: Her Majesty's Visit to Manitoba
Mayor Rick Borotsik (b. 08 Sep 1950) was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. He attended Brandon University, graduating in 1971. He served on Brandon City Council from 1977 to 1985. In 1989, Borotsik was elected mayor; a position he held until 1997 when he stepped down to run as the Progressive Conservative Candidate in the Federal Election. Borotsik was successful in his bid and served as the Brandon-Souris MP for two terms, decling to run in the 2004 Election. Borotsik returned to politics in 2007, he won the provincial election, serving as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Brandon West from 2007 to 2011.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a heatshot of Mayor Rick Borotsik
Notes
History/bio information obtained from CBC News (15 Dec 2010) "Longtime politician Borotsik calls it quits" accessed 08 Dec 2015 at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/longtime-politician-borotsik-calls-it-quits-1.911809
