Script/music/lyrics: pages are somewhat foxed and dog-earred. Scrapbook: some items are fragile, torn or creased. Many items are loose within the pages of the scrapbook. Photographs: good.
History / Biographical
Clare Wallace Coburn was born in Winnipeg, MB on January 4, 1937. He attended Brandon College from 1954 to 1959, graduating with a science degree with the Class of 1959. During his years at Brandon College Coburn served as co-convenor of Freshie Week and the Freshie Parade, Manager of the Board of Publications, Class President, and Secretary of the Finance Board.
For the first three years after leaving the College he worked as a chartered accountant. Coburn then went into business with his father and brother manufacturing the Atom-Jet Humidifier; over time the focus of the company shifted to seeding and fertilizing equipment and seeding activity.
Clare Coburn married Dilys Pearce, with whom he had three children. Following his divorce from Pearce, Coburn married Darlene Wallin. Clare Coburn died on October 30, 2013 in Brandon, MB.
Custodial History
Clare Coburn found the materials in accession 6-2010 a storage area in the basement of Clark Hall in 1957. There was some thought of re-staging the production so he took the script. In 2009 he re-discovered the script in a trunk in his house. Coburn gave the materials to Carla Eisler in Alumni Relations in July 2009. Eisler transferred them to the Archives on July 28, 2009.
Accession 5-2014 was donated to the McKee Archives on November 2, 2010.
Scope and Content
Accession 6-2010 consists of a copy of the script, music and lyrics for Mr. College Spirit.
Accession 5-2014 consists of a scapbook made by Coburn to document his years at Brandon College. Scrapbooks includes: freshie week (1954), athletic (Hockey team 1954-1955, Cheerleaders 1954-1955) and graduation (1956 class portrait in the Prince Edward Hotel; 1956 graduates portrait;1958 class portrait in the Prince Edward Hotel; 1958 graduates portait; 1958 Senior Stick Jack Jubenvill and Lady Stick Elaine Fraser at graduation banquet; 1958 Shirley Young and Clare Coburn at graduation banquet; 1958 faculty group portrait at graduation banquet) photographs; various programmes (Homecoming football game - Notre Dame Hounds vs. Brandon College Caps; 1955-1957 Annual Commencement; 1956-1959 Graduating Banquet; 1957 and 1959 Brandon College Teacher Training Course Graduating Banquet; 1956 Brandon College Graduation Exercises Normal School Teacher Training Course; Brandon College Literary Board - "Time Out for Ginger" (1955), "Life with Mother" (1956); dance cards (1957 and 1958 Graduating Banquet, 1957 Teacher Training Graduating Banquet); tickets (1957 and 1958 Graduation Banquet; 1957 Teacher Training Course Banquet; 1957 Valentine Valse at the Agricultural School); 1956-1957 Student Handbook; 1955-1956 student election ephemera; the original Class of 1958 yell composed by Dick Tingley and Keith Haskins; examination timetables (1955, 1956); "The Feather" newsletter (february 1959; 1955-1956 Color Night shield decoration; Coburn's 1954-1955 Athletic Board pass; Coburn's 1955-1956 class timetable; a sheet of Brandon College cheers; a copy of the Graduation Hymn (George Willis); a sheet of Brandon 75th Anniversary stationary; newspaper clipping re Graduation Banquet (1957); a letter to students written by Coburn as Manager of the Board of Publications re purchasing the annual yearbook (from 1957); three copies of the 1956 Sickle.
Notes
History/Bio information provided by Clare Coburn via the Alumni Office and his obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
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.
