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
Professor John Weldon Grant was born 12 March 1919 in Sunnybrae, Nova Scotia, son of Alec and Linda Grant. He was raised in Sunnybrae and graduated from Pictou Academy in 1937. Prof. Grant entered Pine Hill Divinity School to study Theology. During his ministerial internship, he taught and preached in Rabbit Lake and Biggar, Saskatchewan. He graduated from Pine Hill in 1943 and entered the mission field with the United Church.
Professor Grant moved to Trinidad & Tobago in the 1940s. There he taught in both San Fernando and Siparia, towns located in the southwest tip of the island. Weldon Grant was the first head master off the Iere High School School in Siparia when it opened in 1955. Professor Grant is recalled by Kenneth Ramchand in his _The West Indian Novel And Its Background_ as “his beloved English teacher” reading from an early Sam Selvon novel in a “Saskatchewan version of Trinidad dialect.” That he was teaching Selvon – a West Indian writer - testifies to Grant’s cultural pluralism. See Kenneth Ramchaud, _The West Indian Novel and its bachground_ (London: Faber and Faber, 2001 edition).
Professor Grant and Bernice Emma Moats were married in Gray, Saskatchewan 30 June 1954. They adopted three children in Nova Scotia and returned to Trinidad.
In 1961, the Grants returned to Canada. Weldon taught for one year at Vincent Massey High School and then joined the English Department at Brandon University where he taught in the English department until his retirement on August 31, 1984.
During a sabbatical he spent six months exploring Ireland and the poets that had been inspired by its countryside. He also loved stories of the sea and read many varied authors, both factual and fiction.
Custodial History
Records were collected by Weldon Grant during his teaching career in Trinidad and Canada.
Scope and Content
In the course of his teaching career in Trinidad & Tobego and at Brandon University Professor Grant acquired and retained a number of items with cultural, scholarly and sentimental value. These incude The First Folio of Shakespeare, prepared by Charlton Himan, [Academic ed.]. Imprint New York : W.W. Norton, 1968. xxvii, 928 p. : port. ; 37 cm. Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies. Published according to the true original copies. London, Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623.
The facsimile is described as "an ideal copy in which each page represents the best page selected from one of the 29 most satisfactory copies of the 80 copies in the Folger Shakespeare Library."
1 Self prononcing Holy Bible, Oxford 1910.
1 print 22.4" x 17," "Baking in a Clay Oven," by Trinidad artist David Moore, June 1977 printed in Trinidad by the College Press.
2 water colour paintings 17.5" x 12" by artist "AM." One titled San Fernando (1961) one titled Royal Palm, Trinidad (1960).
1 black and white portrait 10" x 13" of Governor general Roland Michener and his wife (No: A-2) copyright Karsh dated 1970.
1 Asian art work, 12.5" x 18" embroidery on silk.
Notes
Weldon Grant history/bio from Weldon Grant obituary Brandon Daily Sun c. April 14, 1999.
Gordon Hume Daly was born on February 1, 1925 in Cartwright, Manitoba. He spent his early years on his parents' farm, taking his primary and high school education in that district. On January 6, 1945 Gordon enlisted in the Infantry Corp, trained at Shilo, Manitoba, and received his discharge in September of the same year. Upon his discharge he registered in second year Arts at Brandon College. He pursued his many interests there - sports (the college hockey team), the literary society, music (the judge in 'Trial by Jury') and was a member of the Honour Society. Upon graduation in Arts in 1947 from Brandon College, Gordon enrolled at United College in Winnipeg and studied Theology. In 1950 he was ordained in the United Church of Canada. His first pastorate was in Brookdale, Manitoba.
Lois Muriel Dickey was born November 4, 1928 to Myrtle and Alvy Dickey who farmed one mile from the town of Crandall, Manitoba. Lois took her primary and high school education (up to Grade XI) in the Consolidated school in Crandall. After graduating from Grade XI with an Isbister Scholarship, Lois registered at Brandon College and for the next four years lived in the residence of Clark Hall. Movies downtown, college hockey excursions, Wheat King games, college dances - all were new and exciting for a young student from a small Manitoba town. Lois registered in the General Science course and in 1948 graduated with a B.Sc. That same year her family sold their farm and moved to Burnaby, B.C.
During the course of the next three years Lois was employed at three firms: Kelly Douglas Ltd., where she worked for a chemist; Canada Rice Mills, where she assisted the engineer and did secretarial work; and finally with Shell Oil Ltd. in Vancouver. During this period she remained in contact with Brandon College, especially with Rev. Gordon Daly, who she married from Burnaby, B.C. on July 12, 1952.
Following her marriage Lois worked with Gordon in the service of the United Church. In 1952, they embarked on a travel and study venture to Edinburgh, Scotland where Gordon furthered his studies in Theology at New College. After two years, Gordon and Lois and their son Bruce returned to Canada to Northwestern Ontario. In this area they ministered to the towns of Balmertown, Cochenour and McKenzie Island. During this time their son Lorne and daughter Marlene were born. In 1963, the family moved to Swan River, Manitoba where son Mark was born. From 1969-1970, the Daly family participated in an exchange ministry to Australia where Gordon served the Australian United Church of Australia in the town of St. Arnaud, Victoria. Most of the 1970's were spent in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The family moved a final time in 1980 when Gordon accepted a call to Calgary, Alberta.
Gordon Hume Daly died on March 7, 1989. Following Gordon's death Lois chose to remain in Calgary, AB.
Custodial History
Album was in the possession of Gordon Daly until his death in 1989. At that point it passed to his widow Lois Daly. She donated it, along with her own scrapbook, to the McKee Archives on October 18, 2008 while she was visiting Brandon University for Homecoming.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a leather bound photograph album that belonged to Gordon Daly (Class of 1947). It contains approximately 84 black and white photographs of Brandon College students and faculty. A number of the individuals in the photographs have been identified.
Fonds also contains a scrapbook assembled by Lois Daly (nee Dickey), Class of 1948, during her years as a student at Brandon College. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, class election paraphenalia, invitations, pressed corsages, graduation documents and cards, invitations, event programmes (hockey, guest speakers, dramatic and musical productions), place cards, exams, chapel programmes, poetry, tickets (hockey, banquet, graduation, movie), a copy of "Trial by Jury" the major production (1946), notices from the Clark Hall boards, 1940 National Registration Certificate, Oscar Peterson's signature, and notes from Sarah Persis Darrach. There are also documents from the 1998 reconvocation of the Class of 1948 at Brandon University. The scrapbook is inside a blue fabric folder tied with a yellow ribbon. A Brandon College (U of M) crest is attached to the front of the folder and there are two track and field ribbons attached to the back inside of the folder.
Notes
All pencil marks in the album were made by Christy Henry during the preparation of photograph descriptions in October 2008. Beryl McLeod helped identify individuals in the photograph album. Description by Christy Henry. History/Bio information was provided by Lois Daly in March 2009.
87.5 cm (57.5 cm textual records and 29 photographs)
History / Biographical
Gerald Brown was born and raised in Vista, Manitoba. He attended Islay and Rossburn schools. In 1955, he attended Brandon College to take the one year Teacher Training Course. He was part of the first graduating T.T.C. class at Brandon College. After graduation he taught in Ninga, MB. He also taught in Brandon and C.F.B. Shilo. In 1965, he moved to Winnipeg to pursue a career in school librarianship and information services until he retired in 1992. By the end of his career he had been Chief Librarian for thirteen years. He received a B.A. from Brandon College in 1964, a B.Ed. from the University of Manitoba in 1965, a Master of Library Science from Western Michigan in 1968, and a M. Ed. from the University of Manitoba in 1972. He is also very involved with music. At present Gerald Brown continues to live in Winnpeg, MB.
Custodial History
Accession 24-2009: Brown compiled these materials from the personal collections of Colin Mailer, Lorne Watson, Norman Kalinski and Gerald Brown. He delivered them to the Archives on November 17, 2009.
Accession 5-2013: Materials collected and written by Gerald R. Brown in the course of preparing for and attending the Islay (Vista) School District No. 733 reunion held in Rossburn, MB on August 4-6, 2006.
Scope and Content
Accession 30-1998 consists of newspaper clippings for Brandon College 1955-56 complied by Gerald Brown for the 41st anniversary of the graduation of the Brandon College Teacher Training Class of 1956; photographs of the TTC of 1956; the Reunion Yearbook for the anniversary of the 1956 TTC class; and a copy of the program for the 1998 production of W.S. Gilbert and Sullivan musical The Yeoman of the Guard.
Accession 3-1999 consists of a compilation of nine seasons of Gilbert & Sullivan Society pictures, programs, and newsletters. Mr. Brown and other graduates of the Brandon School of Music are among the cast members.
Accession 2-2001 consists of copies of the newsletter, Titipu Times, for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg, Volume 10, 1-4, a 10th Anniversary Program (2000) and a list of ensemble singers 2000/2001.
Accession 4-2001 consists of a scrapbook and programs for the following Gilbert & Sullivan productions: “Patience” (performed April 6-9, 2000 in Winnipeg) and “Pirates of Penzance” (April 5-8, 2001).
Accession 7-2001 consists of 4 colour photographs and a one page summary of the activities of the Reunion TTC 1956 during the May 2001 Convocation.
Accession 4-2003 consists of colour photographs of the 41st Reunion of the Brandon College Teacher Training Course 1955-56 held in May 2001. Included as well is a "Past History Summary" of the Class of 56 Reunions and a copy of Reflecting on Our Past, a publication of the Brandon School Division.
Accession 27-2006 consists of materials collected and written by Gerald R. Brown in the course of preparing for and attending the Islay (Vista) School District No. 733 reunion held in Rossburn, MB on August 4-6, 2006. It includes a copy of "Vista Tales. . . from Islay School District No. 733 in Vista, Manitoba" compiled and edited by Gerald R. Brown (c.2006), a program of events for the reunion, a copy of the reunion worship service program, and 15 postcards entitled "Vista Views," which were sold at the reunion.
Accession 19-2007 includes biographical information on Isabelle Mills, former faculty member of Brandon College (School of Music) and the program for HMS Pinafore, presented by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Winnipeg (2003).
Accession 24-2009 (1938-2009, 30 cm textual records) consists of the records of the Brandon Festival of the Arts. Included are: meeting minutes (Executive, Regular and Annual), reports, financial reports, correspondence; programs and syllabi from the Festival; and Festival highlights and similar programs.
Accession 5-2013 (1951-1952, 2006, 5 cm textual records, 3 CDs) consists of hard copies of "Vista Tales. . . from Islay School District No. 733 in Vista, Manitoba Reunion Photo File" and "Vista Tales. . . from Islay School District No. 733 in Vista, Manitoba Alunni & Community Events" compiled and edited by Gerald R. Brown (c.2006). Also includes three CDs containing ditigal versions of all three Vista Tales volumes and a a copy of the 1951-1952 Foxwarren High School yearbook.
Lorelei Cederstrom (nee Sajeck) was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 16, 1938. She obtained her B.A. from Valparaiso University in 1959 with majors in English and Music, and her M.A. in English from Carleton University in 1969. She was employed by the University of Manitoba as a teaching assistant in the English Department and Lecturer in the Evening and Extension Division from 1971 - c. 1979. In 1980, she began her career at Brandon University as an Assistant English Professor with BUNTEP/Impacte.
With James C. Cederstrom she had two children, a son and a daughter. Lorelei Cederstrom passed away in Brandon, Manitoba on July 27, 2002.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains course materials, course outlines, grades, notebooks, correspondence, memos, minutes for various University committees, English Department records, publications and research. The latter includes material on Doris Lessing and Walt Whitman.
Materials were in the possession of Harvey Young until their donation to the McKee Archives in 2008.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of one file containing a copy of the history of the Geology Department and a drawing of its layout when it was located in the H-Huts. Both were created by Harvey Young.
See RG 6, series 9 (Department of Extension) for biographical information on R.B. Inch.
Custodial History
R.B. Inch's records were passed on to the McKee Archives following his death. It is presumed that the executer of his estate donated the collection after his passing in 1983.
Scope and Content
This collection is heavily influenced by Inch's professional and organizational life. Most heavily represented is literature associated with Inch's involvement with the League of Nations Society in Canada during the 1930s. It also appears that Inch paid close attention to United Nations' policy following World War II, from ca. 1945-1970. There are numerous items devoted to both Canadian and international political and diplomatic issues, with particular emphasis on British politics in the immediate post-war period. As one would expect from his involvement in the National Research Council and League of Nations Society, the core of the fonds is a study in two major themes. The first theme is of the post-WWII policy pursued by Canada and Britain and, secondly, the growth and development of United Nations' policy following the collapse of the League of Nations. There is some periphery material of general interest to Canadian history and Canadian university publications, but for the most part the material can be classified into one of the two preceding themes.
The collection includes a manuscript prepared by R.B. Inch entitled "Parliament Will Decide: A Chronicle of the Drift to War and of an Effort to Help Avert it" (1947). The manuscipt is edited but out of order.
The balance of the collection consists of accumulated documents gathered over the course of Inch's lifetime from outside sources. These include: newspaper clippings and whole newspapers from publications in Winnipeg, Brandon, Toronto, Calgary and London; United Nations' pamphlets conerning a broad range of issues, ranging from the question of East Indian independence to annual policy directives of the organization; various magazines including copies of "Interdependence," which Inch once edited; articles taken from the publication "Life" concerning important figures of the time period; numerous books and textbooks concerning the political formation of post-war Europe; quarterlies from academic institutions, such as the University of Toronto; some material, primarily pamphlets, concerning R.B. Inch's involvement in Amnesty International after his retirement; and documents relating to post-war reconstruction in Britain.
Notes
Finding aid for the R.B. Inch fonds was prepared for the McKee Archives by Matthew Palmer (2003). The majority of the boxes in the collection contain a typewritten inventory detailing the contents of each container. As well, the preponderance of the files within the boxes are further subdivided by either a typwritten inventory itemizing the material contained within each dossier or a handwritten note on the outside of the folder describing the contents.
MG 3 Brandon University Teaching and Administration
1.10 R.B. Inch
Related Material
Additional materials related to R.B. Inch may be found in RG 6, Series 9 (Department of Extension). There is also a related group of records from R.B. Inch that can be found in the Library and Archives of Canada under the heading Rober Boyer Inch fonds. This fonds consists of 4.05 m of textual records dating from ca. 1923-1981.
See RG 6 Brandon University fonds, 7.4.1 Dean of Music for biographical information.
Custodial History
The records were collected during the course of Jones' career as a member of the School of Music and as Dean of the School of Music. They remained in his possession until their donation to the McKee Archives on June 29, 2011.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records created and collected during the course of Lawrence Jones' teaching career in the School of Music and during his tenure as Dean of the School of Music at Brandon University.
Records include: dean's log books; recital programs and related materials; personal documents; academic papers; planning documents; contracts; administration documents; workshop documents; teaching documents; proposals; reviews; evaluations; violin concerto by S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatte, piano score, edited by Lawrence Jones. Topics include: planning for the School of Music; Master's degree program; award winners; the music building expansion; adjudicating; the New Brandon University Trio; and the National Music Festival.
Cedric Vendyback was born August 28, 1923 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England and was educated at Harehills Council School till the age of fourteen - then becoming a labourer. At the outbreak of World War II, he educated himself for aircrew duties and in 1942 came to Canada where he was trained as a fighter pilot and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Air Force until demonbilisation in 1946. He flew as a Reservist pilot from 1948 to 1968.
After Training College, Vendyback became a teacher in 1948 and in 1953 began empirical training with Alex Baron as an actor and director until becoming appointed as Associate of the Drama Board, later a Licentiate of The Royal Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. In 1963, he was elected a Member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.
In 1971, he was selected for and offered a position as a professor at Brandon University where he opened a new drama department in January 1972.
Vendyback retired in 1992 and currently (June 2012) lives in Kelowna, B.C., where he works as a free-lance director and lecturer.
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Cedric Vendyback from their creation until he donated them to the McKee Archvies in 2011 and 2012.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records related to the activities of the Brandon University Drama Society (BUDS) and the Brandon University Drama Department collected by Cedric Vendyback during his years as head of the department. The Society performed plays in the then Drama Building, the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre and the Westman Centennial Auditorium.
Accession 16-2011 (1972-1978) consists of a photograph album of photographs, playbills and related newspaper clippings for Brandon University Drama Society productions staged between 1972 and 1978.
Accession 10-2012 (1972-1985) consists of: production reviews from various newspapers and playbills for BUDS productions; a historical fact sheet provided by the donor regarding the Drama Department's service to the community; student evaluation extracts; and the course description for Play Production.
Notes
History/Bio provided by Cedric Vendyback. Description by Christy Henry.
