File consists of procedures for the selection of the Dean of Arts, correspondence, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada documents, an organizational chart for the University and information on the Library.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 2: Board of Governors
2.4 Correspondence and subject files
Box 6
BRANDON UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS:
DR. JOHN E. ROBBINS (Brandon College 1960-1967; Brandon University 1967 - August 31, 1969)
John E. Robbins was raised in Darlingford, Manitoba. He received both his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Manitoba. He spent a number of years working in the Education Division of the Bureau of Statistics, attaining the position of Director there, as well as being the Director of the Information Division. During the years that he worked there he took several leaves of absence in order to hold a Carnegie Corporation Traveling Fellowship in the Scandinavian countries in 1933 and to obtain his Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa in 1935.
Robbins helped to found the Canadian Association for Adult Education, the Social Science Research Council of Canada, the Humanities Research Council of Canada, the United Nations Association in Canada and the Canadian Citizenship Council. In 1942 he became a member of the Board of Directors of Carlton University. Dr. Robbins was active in UNESCO work, was a member of Canadian Government delegations to foreign conferences and spent a year as director of an educational system for Palestinian refugees in the Arab countries surrounding Israel.
In 1960, while editor-in-chief of the newly compiled "Encyclopedia Canadiana," Robbins was asked to become the sixth and final President of Brandon College. From 1960 to 1967, he oversaw construction of the Arts and Library Building and Lecture Theatre, a Mens' Residence, a Dining Hall, a Heating Plant, a Ladies' Residence, a Music Building, a Physical Education Building and an Education Building. After the university charter was granted in 1967, Robbins was installed as the first President of Brandon University. After his retirement from Brandon University in 1969, he took the position of Canadian Ambassador to the Vatican. He died in 1995, at the age of 91.
DR. A.L. DULMAGE (July 1, 1970 - June 30, 1977)
Andrew Lloyd Dulmage was born in Hamilton, Ontario on August 13, 1917. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1939 and his Masters in 1940, both from the University of Toronto. After working as a teaching fellow at the University of Toronto for one year, Dulmage took a position at the University of Manitoba teaching in the department of mathematics. In 1950, he left the University of Manitoba for a position at the Royal Military College of Canada. Dulmage received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1952.
Dulmage returned to the University of Manitoba from 1956-1964, before being appointed head of the department of mathematics at the University of Alberta. In 1966, he returned to the University of Manitoba as Professor of mathematics and Associate Dean of the faculties of arts and science; he was named Dean of Arts and Acting Dean of the faculties of arts and science in 1969. Dulmage left the University of Manitoba in 1970 to accept the position of President of Brandon University.
Under his leadership, from 1970-1977, the Native Studies Department was established and several four-year programs were introduced at Brandon University. Dulmage also helped to expand educational opportunities for the public in general and senior citizens in particular. After leaving BU, Dulmage headed the mathematics department Andrew Lloyd Dulmage was married with two children. He died suddenly at his home in Gold River, Nova Scotia on May 16, 1989.
DR. HAROLD J. PERKINS (July 1, 1977 - December 1983)
Harold Jackson Perkins was born in London, Ontario c. 1930. He received degrees from the University of British Columbia and Iowa. From 1958-1963, Perkins was a researcher with the Canadian department of agriculture in Lethbridge, AB before moving to Plattsurgh, NY where he held the post of Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for the University of New York, Plattsburgh campus.
Perkins began his tenure as President of Brandon University in July 1977. He resigned on November 28, 1983. Following his departure from the President's Office, Perkins returned to a faculty position at Brandon University and did some teaching related to computer systems until his retirement.
Harold Perkins is married to Mary Louise. They have four children together, three sons and a daughter. They continue to live in Brandon, MB.
DR. E.J. TYLER (February 1984 - July 31, 1985)
Earl John (Curly) Tyler was born December 22, 1913 in Moose Jaw, SK. He received his B.A. from the University of Manitoba in 1946 and his M.Sc. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1954 from the University of Utah. He carried out post-doctoral studies at the University of Saskatchewan in 1957 and 1961, the University of Michigan in 1959, and Harvard University in 1960.
Tyler joined the staff at Brandon College in 1949, founding and developing the undergraduate program in psychology there; from 1949-1976, he was the Chairman of the Psychology Department. In 1979, while continuing his consulting and research work in the areas of recreation and leisure, Tyler retired to do continued research on the psychology of aging. He was appointed Professor Emeritus in the fall of 1980. From February 1984 to July 1985, Tyler was the Interim President of Brandon University and in October, 1985, he was the first BU past-president to be honored as President Emeritus by the BU Board of Governors.
In 1974, Tyler was the third recipient of the Clifford J. Robson Distinguished Psychologist in Manitoba Award for outstanding service to Psychology in Manitoba. Tyler, a social psychologist, was the first winner from outside Winnipeg. In 1983, he was awarded The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association Citation for Outstanding Achievement. Tyler was also an honorary lifetime member in the Canadian Psychological Association.
Earl J. (Curly) Tyler died on October 16, 1997.
DR. JOHN R. MALLEA (August 1, 1985 - July 31, 1990)
Born in 1937/8, John Mallea's academic and research background included the fields of sociology and education. Prior to becoming President and Vice-Chancellor of Brandon University, Mallea held teaching positions at Queen's University and at the Ontario institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, where he also served as Assistant Director (Academic).
During his tenure at Brandon University, Mallea worked closesly with the Planning and Priorities Committee, which resulted in academic and physical growth, including: approval for the Bachelor of Nursing and Masters of Education; the opening of the Rural Development Institute; the establishment of the Stanley Knowles Distinguished Visiting Professorship Endowment; cooperative educational projects with Malawi, Swaziland and Botswana; the completion of the Knowles-Douglas Complex, the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building, the near completion of a new steam plant and the initial plans for the Clark Hall and Original Building renovations; and the Building From Strength campaign.
John Mallea is married to Paula Mallea, a lawyer who had a thriving law practice in Kingston before coming to Brandon, where she sat for the Manitoba bar exams. The John and Paula Mallea Endowment Fund at Brandon University was established in their honour.
DR. C.D. ANDERSON (August 1, 1990 - July 31, 2000)
C. Dennis Anderson was born on September 29, 1942 in Libau, Manitoba. He received his B.Sc. from Brandon College (The University of Manitoba) in 1964, his Masters in Business Administration from McMaster University in 1969, and his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario in 1977.
From 1969-1971, Anderson was an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Management at the College of Commerce, University of Saskatchewan and from 1974-1990, he taught in the Faculty of Management at the University of Manitoba. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Anderson was also the President of Decision Research Limited, a marketing research and business consulting firm.
Anderson came to Brandon University in 1990. From that date until his resignation in July 2004, he was a Professor in the Department of Business Administration. In addition, from 1990-2000, Anderson was the President and Vice-Chancellor of Brandon University. During his years in Brandon, he was also: Chair of various search committees for senior administrative positions; a founding member of the Northern Manitoba Business Institute; a member of the Board of the Brandon University Alumni Association; a member of the Board of Brandon University Foundation; an ex-officio member of Faculty Councils; Chair of the Central Appointments Committee; Chair of the President's Advisory Group; Chair of the Joint Board-Senate Planning and Priorities Committee; Chair of the Senate and senate Executive; and a member of the Board of Governors and various Board subcommittees.
Some of Anderson's additional involvements included being a member of: the Rural Advisory Committee to the Minister of Rural Development (1994-1997); the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; the Economic Innovation and Technology Council (EITC) Government of Manitoba; the Governing Council of the University of Swaziland; the Board of Directors, Centra Gas Manitoba Inc.; the Board of Directors, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (Manitoba Region); and the Board of Directors, Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
At present (January 2006), Dennis Anderson lives in Libau, MB.
DR. LOUIS P. VISENTIN (August 1, 2000 - July 31, 2009)
No biographical information yet.
Dr. Deborah Poff (August 1, 2009 - July 31, 2014)
Deborah Poff has a B.A. (Hons) from Queen's University and a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Guelph. She obtained her M.A. from Carelton University and her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Guelph. She is married to Dr. Alex Michalos.
Poff joined the University of Northern British Columbia in 1993 as the founding Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science and served for ten years as the Vice-President Academic and Provost. In 2004-2005, she served as the Sheldon Chumir Fellow in public policy doing research on ethical leadership and the future of university governance.
During her career Poff co-founded two international peer-reviewed academic journals, the Journal of Business Ethics and the Journal of Academic Ethics. She has served on numerous national and international boards and councils, holding positions including President of the National Council on Ethics in Human Research and Vice-President Development with the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Following the completion of her term as President at Brandon University, Poff retired to the Ottawa area. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2016.
DR. GERVAN ALBERT FEARON (August 1, 2014 - July 31, 2017)
Gervan Fearon completed his post-secondary education at the University of Guelph (B.A. and M.A. in Agricultural Economics) and received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. He also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) designation.
Prior to joining Brandon University as Vice-President (Adcademic & Provost) in 2013, Fearon held several academic positions including Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University, as an Associate Dean (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) and Associate Professor at York University. He was also a Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington. In addition to his academic career, Fearon also spent several years in the Ontario Government as a senior analyst at Treasury Board Division, Ontario Ministry of Finance, and as an executive assistant to the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamon Jubilee Medal.
Fearon was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Brandon University in August 2014. He left his position at Brandon University in July 2017 to become President and Vice-Chancellor at Brock University.
DR. STEVEN ROBINSON (Interim President, August 1, 2017 - April 30, 2019)
Steven Robinson joined the Philosophy Department at Brandon University in 1996, after lecturing at both the University of Regina and the University of Guelph. Robinson completed brief stints as Associate Dean of Arts, Acting Dean of Arts and Acting Vice-President (Academic & Provost) before being appointed Vice-President (Academic & Provost) for a five year term commencing July 1, 2016.
Robinson was appointed Interim President and Vice-Chancellor by the Brandon University Board of Governors following the announcement of Gervan Fearon's departure.
DR. DAVID DOCHERTY (May 1, 2019 - present)
David Docherty completed degrees from McMaster University and Wilfrid Laurier, as well as a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
Prior to becoming Brandon Univeristy's President and Vice-Chancellor in 2019, Docherty spent more than seventeen years at Wilfrid Laurier University, serving as a Professor of Political Science, as Dean of Arts and as a Senior Advisor on Multi-Campus Initiatives. He was also a founding member of the university's Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion. For ten years before coming to Brandon, Docherty served as President at Mount Royal University.
Scope and Content
The majority of the records in this sub-series are unprocessed.
Notes
A partial inventory of the sub-series exsists as a Word document. Biographical information for John E. Robbins was taken from the "Brandon College finding aid" prepared by Karyn Riedel for the McKee Archives in 1998. Biographical information for Dennis Anderson was taken from his personel file. Biographical information for E.J. Tyler was taken from his biographical file in the McKee Archives. Biographical information for Harold Perkins was taken from an article in "The Quill" (April 7, 1977). Biographical information on Lloyd Dulmage was taken from Campus News - 1989. Biographical information for John Mallea was taken from Campus News (April 1985, May 1989, June 1990). Biographical information for Deborah Poff, Gervan Fearon, Steven Robinson and David Docherty was taken from Brandon University press releases.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 3: Office of the President
The Annual President's Report typically included a brief report from each office of the College/University, covering the developments of the previous year. In addition, financial, enrollment data and new program initiatives were included. The annual reports also contained information concerning faculty publications and awards.
Scope and Content
Sub-series contains President's reports for the following years:
BOX 1:
1914-1915; 1921-1923; 1926-1927; 1927-1928; 1929-1930; 1934-1935; 1935-1936; 1946-1947; 1960-1962; 1962-1964; 1964-1967; 1968-1969; 1969-1970; 1970-1971; 1971-1972; 1972-1973; 1973-1974; 1974-1975; 1975-1976; 1976-1977
Brandon College report for 1964-1967, contains a historical account of the development of the library for the period 1900-1967.
BOX 2:
1978-1979; 1982-1983; 1983-1984; 1985-1986; 1986-1987; 1987-1988; 1988-1989; 1989-1990; 1991-1993
Notes
For ease of administration, President's reports from the Brandon College era have been included in the sub-series. Formerly accession RP80-43.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 3: Office of the President
As stipulated in "The Brandon University Act (1998)," the president is the chief executive officer and the Vice-Chancellor of the university and has general supervision over and direction of the operation of the university, including the academic work of the university; supervises the teaching staff, officers, employees and students of the university; may consider and make recommendations to the board or the senate about any matter that affects the university; is an ex officio member of every committee of the board and the senate; and has any other powers and duties assigned by the board.
The President reports to the Board of Governors, while receiving direct reports from the: Vice-President (Academic and Research), the Vice-President (Administration and Finance), the Director of Development and Alumni Relations, the Director of University Relations and the Director of International Activities. The president also interacts with the Board of Governors, the Senate, students, faculty members, staff members, unions, alumni, businesses, the Brandon University Foundation, the Brandon community, rural, northern and Aboriginal Communities, donors, government officials (municipal, provincial & federal), the K – 12 school system, and institutions of higher education, in Manitoba, Canada and internationally.
Scope and Content
Series has been divided into two sub-series, including: (1) President's files; and (2) President's reports.
Notes
Administrative information in the History/Bio field was taken from "The Brandon University Act (1998)" at http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/1998/c04898e.php (December 2005) and http://www.brandonu.ca/admin/Policies/Administrative/position%20job%20desc%20President.pdf (December 2005).
VICE-PRESIDENTS (ACADEMIC & RESEARCH):
MEIR SERFATY (1986-1992)
Meir Serfaty was born on January 13, 1946 in Melilla, Spain (see note below*). He obtained his B.A. (Hons.) in Politics and Economics from Manchester University in 1967, his M.A. in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 1969 and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Carleton University in 1976.
Prior to coming to Brandon University in 1973, Serfaty worked as an Academic Advisor of Foreign Public Administration Students (1970-1973), the Co-ordiator of Teaching Assistants (1970-1972) and a sessional lecturer at Carelton Univeristy. He is currently a professor in the Department of Political Science. Since 1973, he has been a professor in the Department of Political Science and Department of Modern Languages (Spanish). In the winter of 1993 he was a Visiting Professor, Department of International Relations at the Universidad de las Americas, Peubla, Mexico.
Serfaty's administrative positions and appointments at Brandon Unviersity have included the following: Chair, Brandon University Tenure Appeals Committee (2005); Director, Office of International Activities (1998-2002); Chair, Department of Political Science (1995-1998, 2005); Vice-Chair, Arts Faculty Council, and occasional Acting Dean (1994 - ); member of the Executive, Board of Governors (1999 - ); Senate representative, Board of Directors (1999 - ); member of the Executive, Senate (1999 - ); member of Senate, representing professors (1995-1998, 1999 - ); Vice-President, Academic and Research (1986-1992); Director, Canadian Studies Program (1979-1985); President, BUFA (1980-81, 1983-84, 1984-85); Director of various national, regional and provincial conference; Chair of various campus committees; and a member of numerous Arts Faculty and University-wide committees.
His external positions, appoinments and professional activities have included the following: member, City of Brandon Strategic Plan Steering Committee (2004 - ); Chair, City of Brandon Electoral Review Commission (2001 - ); National Executive member, Canadian Jewish Congress (1993-1998); Chair, Consumer Conciliation Panel, Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (South-Western Region) (1989); Executive member, Manitoba Task Force on Multiculturalism (1987-1988); Senior Acting Chair, The Manitoba Municipal Board (1982-1988); President, Western Manitoba Multicultural Council (1981-1983); has assisted the City of Brandon, the towns of Powerview and Pine Falls and Churchill, Manitoba on issues of local governance; a political commentator and analyst on election night (various radio stations) (1979-2004), as well as numerous guest appearances on local radio and television, and local and Canadian press commentaries discussing political events.
As of January 2006, Meir Serfaty continues to teach at Brandon University.
*Melilla is a town located geographically in Moroccan territory, but it is an autonomous Spanish province. (Meir Serfaty email, January 12, 2006).
SUSAN HUNTER-HARVEY (1992-1995)
Susan Hunter-Harvey was born and raised in Wisonsin, graduating with a B.A. in History from Carrol College in Wisconsin in 1964. She completed an M.A. (1967) and a Ph.D. (1968) in Political Science at the University of Hawaii. She was a Post Doctoral Fellow and lecturer at the University of Alberta and then was an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Western Ontario. Hunter-Harvey came to Brandon University from the Department of Sociology at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1992, where she had been teaching since 1975. In 1995, Hunter-Harvey was appointed the President of Douglas College in New Westminster, BC.
T. PATRICK CARRABRE (1995 - 2001)
* Additional biographical information on Patrick Carrabre is located under RG 6, sub sub series 7.4.1 (Director of the School of Music).
T. Patrick Carrabre was born in 1958. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1980 from the University of Manitoba. He went on to study at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts and the University of Western Ontario before working closely with Pulitzer and MacArthur Award winning composer George Perle. Carrabre obtained his Ph.D. from the City University of New York.
Prior to coming to Brandon University in 1992, as the Dean of Music, Carrabre was the Performing Arts Officer with the Manitoba Arts Council, where he managed the granting programs in Dance, Music and Theatre. After more than a year as Acting Vice-President (Academic & Research), the Board of Governors approved his appointment at its December 19, 1996 meeting.
Carrabre has worked closely with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra since 1992. He is currently (March 2006) the orchestra's Composer-in-Residence, a position he assumed in 2001, after five year's in the role of "Associate Composer." In addition to his work writing music, he is also a co-curator of the WSO's wildly successful New Music Festival.
At present (March 2006), Patrick Carrabre continues to teach in the School of Music.
JEFFERY GEORGE WILLIAMS (2001 - June 30, 2007)
Jeff Williams was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, 3 May 1945. He is a graduate of the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, with a Bachelor of Science degree (1966) and a Ph.D. (1969), both in Mathematical Physics. Subsequently, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and Solvay Fellow at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Williams worked as hospital statistician at the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre in the United Kingdom before moving to Canada. After serving as a faculty member at Okanagan University College and Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia, Dr. Williams and his wife, Edith-Mary Smith, came to Brandon in 1986 where Dr. Williams took up a faculty appointment in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science at Brandon University.
Williams has taught a wide range of mathematics courses, from elementary statistics to advanced calculus and, in 1992, he received the Brandon University Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science for seven years.
In 1991, Williams was elected to membership in the province-wide Winnipeg Institute for Theoretical Physics and served a term as Institute Director. His major research interests are in theoretical/mathematical physics and specifically in “general relativity” – the geometric theory of gravitation. Dr. Williams has published over forty articles in learned journals, has edited two books, and is an active member of the general relativity community, both in Canada and internationally. His hobbies include mountain walking and creative writing. For a number of years, Dr. Williams was President of the Brandon Writers Club and edited a number of issues of Brandon University’s electronic magazine, Ecclectica.
Jeff Williams became Acting Vice-President (Academic & Research) on 1 September 2001, and was appointed Vice-President (Academic & Research) on February 28, 2002.
SCOTT GRILLS (July 1, 2007 - present)
See RG 6, Series 7 (Faculties and Schools), 7.1 (Faculty of Arts), 7.1.1 (Dean of Arts) for biographical information on Scott Grills.
Notes
A partial inventory for the sub-series exists as a Word document. Biographical information on Meir Serfaty was taken from the curriculum vitae he made available to the Archives (January 2006) - see biography files "Meir Serfaty". Biographical information on Susan Hunter-Harvey was taken from her personnel file (Dean of Arts). Carrabre and Williams provided their own biographical information.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
The Office of the President of Brandon College was established in 1899 under the title of Principal. The Principal was the head of the Academic Department and the Administrative body. In 1910, the position of Principal was changed to the position of President. There is no documented reason given for this change, but it was consistent with other universities and colleges at the time. When the institution was first organized in 1899, the role of the Principal was quite varied. It was the Principal who acted as both Registrar and Bursar, in addition to his duties as head of administration. The Principal also acted as a professor. It was the Principal who kept the college in contact with the Baptist Union. The Principal also acted as the liaison between the Board of Directors and the Senate, being an ex-officio member of both. In 1910, the roles of Registrar and Bursar were no longer the responsibility of the President. In the 1920’s the President became increasingly involved with fundraising and traveled extensively in search of financial support.
In 1938, following the “Act to Incorporate Brandon College Incorporated,” the Board of Directors, under by-law #1, assigned the President with “the internal management of the business of the Corporation insofar as it relates to the students, teaching and office staff shall be under the direct supervision of the President, subject to the order of the Board.” In 1965 the President’s Office was created, consisting of the President, Executive Assistant to the President (later Deputy to the President), and Secretary to the President who was also the Public Relations Assistant. From 1899 until 1967 the Office of the President was administered by six different men.
Scope and Content
Series consists of records generated and collected by various presidents. The series has been divided into six sub-series, including: (1) Dr. Archibald P. McDiarmid; (2) Dr. Howard Primrose Whidden; (3) Dr. Franklin W. Sweet; (4) Dr. David Bovington; (5) Dr. John Robert Charles Evans; and (6) Dr. John E. Robbins.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 2: Office of the Principal/President
The offices of the President and General Manager were established in 1896 with the creation of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. These positions were held jointly by the one officer of company until 1975, when the Board of Directors of the Company divided the two positions, thereby relieving the President from management of plant operations.
Under the General By-Laws of the Company, the President, when present, presided over all Board of Directors meetings. He also signed all documents that may have required his signature and performed any other duties assigned to him by the board. The President exercised general supervision and control over the business of the Company and performed such duties as are usually associated with the office of President of Chief Executive officer of a company.
The General Manager had full power and authority to manage and direct the business and affairs of the Company. He was also responsible for employing and discharging agents and employees of the Company. After A.E. McKenzie gifted the majority of his company shares to the Government of Manitoba in 1945, the General Manager remained responsible for all operations of the Company. However, the General Manager found himself accountable to a Board of Directors comprised mainly of government appointees.
A. E. McKenzie held the offices of President/General Manager from 1896 until his death in 1964, at which time J. Lasby Lowes succeeded him. Following Lowes' retirement in 1968, A.R. Swanson was appointed by the government to fill the positions. Anthony J. Maruca became President of A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. in 1972. In 1975, the Board of Directors appointed William Moore the first individual to hold the position of General Manager without also occupying the President's office. At the same time, Mr. Pat Kelleher was named the new interim President. Following Kelleher's resignation, Moore was appointed President of the company. Keith Guelpa became President around 1984 following Moore's departure from the company to face criminal charges arising from his activities as an officer of the company. Raymond West assumed the position after Guelpa’s departure.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Series consists almost entirely of records and documents generated by the first two President/General Managers of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. In addition to the records created by A.E. McKenzie and J. Lasby Lowes in their capacity as President/General Manager, records pertaining to the various properties owned by the Company are also included. The series also contains marketing documents, including catalogues and sales literature, as well as a reference library comprised of twenty titles dealing with business and the seed industry and some records dealing with the President/General Managers following Lowes' retirement.
The series has been divided into seven sub-series, including: (1) A.E. McKenzie; (2) J. Lasby Lowes; (3) Comptroller; (4) Properites; (5) Marketing; (6) Reference Library; and (7) Miscellaneous Publications/Correspondence.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
File consists of a summary statement of basic aims of study (Housing the Canadian Student), correspondence, financial information, a newsclipping and the proposed student residence building for Brandon University.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance)
Box 8
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
File consists of a copy of the Canadian Union of Students Committee - Brandon University - Report on Men's Residence, general rules and announcements for the residences, residence statistics and correspondence.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance)
Box 2
