DEANS OF ARTS:
R.F.B. KING (1967-1972)
Ralph Frederick Breach King was born July 16, 1921 in Vancouver, B.C. He obtained his B.A. from the University of British Columbia in 1948, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1951 and 1960 respectively. Before coming to Brandon College in 1963, King held positions in the English Departments of the University of British Columbia, Royal Military College (Kingston), and the Canadian Services College (Victoria). At the latter, he was also the head of the department.
At Brandon College he joined the Department of English as its Head and also acted as, first, the Associate Dean of Arts (1963-1965), and then as the first Dean of Arts (1965-1972) of Brandon University. He continued as Head of the English Department until 1977. In addition, during the interregnum between the Robbins and Dulmage presidencies in 1969-1970, King also served as Acting President of the University.
As Dean, King oversaw the radical change in curriculum that took place just prior to Brandon College becoming an independent University. He supervised the introduction of the major-minor system (instead of three sequences of specialization) and the wide-ranging revisions in the academic program that the new degree structure required. Once Brandon University had been formally constituted in 1967, a need arose to expand and develop teaching staff, and King profoundly influenced the development of the institution through his choice of faculty. King also played an important role in expanding the library collection as Chair of the Brandon College Faculty Library Committee in the 1960s.
King retired in 1986; he was on full-time disability for the last seven years of his appointment due to complications arising from multiple sclerosis. In 1988, the University conferred on him "Emeritus" status.
Ralph F.B. King died June 3, 2002.
MICHAEL BLANAR (1972 - December 31, 1980)
Michael Blanar was born on April 26, 1933, in Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from Loyola College (Universite de Montreal) with his B.A. in 1954, and from the Universite de Montreal with his M.A. in 1956. From 1955-1960, except for 1958-1959 when he was registered as a post-graduate external Ph.D. student at University College, University of London, Blanar taught at Loyola High School in Montreal. In 1960, he graduate from the University de Montreal with his Ph.D.
From 1960-1970, Blanar taught English at Loyola College and directed the Freshman English Program there. For the two years before he came to Brandon University, he was on a leave of absence from Loyola College at Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax), where he held the position of visiting associate professor in the English Department. In 1972, Blanar accepted the position of Dean of Arts at Brandon University. He held that post until 1981, while teaching part-time; in 1981, he resumed teaching full-time in the English Department, and continued to do so up until his retirement on September 1, 1993.
As a member of the English Department, Blanar developed and taught Written Expression, in addition to teaching other courses. He also acted as: a member of Senate (1981-1988); a member of the Senate Executive Committee; Chairman of the Scholarship Committee; Chairman of the Curriculum and Academic Standards Committee; Chairman of the Brandon University Act Committee; Chair, Tenure Committe; Chair, Promotions Appeal Committee; Chair, Search Committee for Director of Extension; and Chairman, Graduate Studies Committee (Arts Faculty Council). Blanar was also the Senior University Officer of Inter-Universities North for a number of years during the 1980s.
As Dean of Arts, he performed the usual academic administrative responsibilities, and due to the fact that there was no Vice-President (Academic and Research) at the time, he also represented the University at negotiations with the Universitites Grants Commission on Inter-Universities North, on the Inter-University Admission Committee. During his tenure as Dean, Blanar also oversaw the establishment of the Department of Native Studies, the consolidation of the language areas at the University into the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, and the intoduction of a Business Minor into the Economics Department.
In addition to his work at the University, Blanar was also a representative on the Articulation Council for Secondary and Post-Secondary Education for the Province of Manitoba (1982-1986), a member of the Board of Directors and the Brandon representative for the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC), and an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Opera Association.
Michael Blanar had three children with his first wife. In 1985, he married Shirley Lyon. Shirley Lyon passed away on March 1st, 2012. Michael Blanar lived in Winnipeg until his death on April 23, 2019.
P.J.C. HORDERN (January 1, 1981 - June 30, 1993)
Peter John Calveley Hordern was born in England on February 5, 1935. He was awarded a State Scholarship to Cambridge University (Latin, History, English) in 1953, and in 1959, completed his B.A. Thological Tripos Part 1 and 2 at that same institution. In 1961, he passed his General Ordination Exam at Lincoln Theological College and in 1961, received his Diploma in Ecumenical Theology from the Unviersity of Geneva, Switzerland. Hordern obtained his M.A. from Cambridge in 1964, and his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from McMaster University in 1972.
In the late 1960s, Hordern was a sessional lecturer in Hebrew at the University of Saskatchewan and a Professor of the Old Testament at the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad. In 1971, he took a position as a Lecturer in the Religion Department at Brandon University. From 1975-1978, he acted as the Chair for the department, and in 1980, he became the Co-ordinator for the Mature Student Centre. In 1981, he became the Dean of Arts; Hordern held this position until July 1993.
During his career at Brandon University, Hordern served the school in a number of additional capacities, including: Chairman of the Student Recruitment Committee, Chairman of the Arts Faculty Council Library Committee, a member of the Executive of the Brandon University Faculty Association, Vice-Chairman of the Arts Faculty Council, Vice-Chairman of the General Faculty Council and Vice-Chairman of the University Senate. In addition, Hordern was also a member of the Executive of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Vice-Chairman (1976) and Co-Chairman (1978) of the Programme Committee for the Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, and Chairman of the Manitoba Police Commission. One of his prime research interests was the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Peter John C. Hordern retired from Brandon University in 2005 and on January 26, 2006 he was designated the title of Dean Emeritus. He continues to live in Brandon.
R.E. FLORIDA (July 1, 1993 - December 31, 1999)
Robert Florida was born on September 16, 1939 in St. Louis, MO to Edwin Lowe Florida and Eleanor Camille (nee Greene). He completed his Mech. Eng. degree at the University of Cincinnati in 1962, his Bachelor of Divinity at Tufts University in 1965, his M.A. at McMaster University in 1969 and his Ph.D. at McMaster in 1973.
He joined the Department of Religion at Brandon University in 1969 and retired at the end of 1999. While at Brandon University, Florida served as Dean of Arts from 1993-2000, as Chair of the Religion Department (1974-1975, 1978-1982, 1984-1986, 1991) and as President of the Brandon University Faculty Association (1972-1974, 1979-1980). His research interests focused on Buddhist ethical theory and practice.
During his career, Florida also acted as the Treasurer of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion from 1980-1986, and as Treasurer of the Canadian Corporation for the Study of Religion from 1986-1989. From July 1989-June 1991, he was an Associate Professor, and member of the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Swaziland, Kwaluseni, Swaziland (CIDA Project) helping that institution revise its curriculum. In the Spring of 1989, Florida was a Professor for the University of Pittsburg's Semester at Sea, and from January-June 1992 and January-June 1993, he was a Visiting Professor at Mahidol University, Salaya (Bangkok), Thailand.
Robert Florida married his wife Janice in 1963, and together they had two children: Aisha and Michael. At present (January 2006), Florida and his wife live in Victoria, B.C.
C. SCOTT GRILLS (August 2000 - June 30, 2007)
Scott Grills was born on December 31, 1963 in Peterborough, Ontario. He obtained his B.A. (Hons.- sociology) from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1984, his M.A. from the University of Waterloo in 1985 and his Ph.D. (sociology) from McMaster University in 1989.
Prior to becoming the Dean of Arts and Graduate Studies at Brandon University in August 2000, Grills served as the President of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations, and taught in the sociology department at Augustana University College from 1989-2000. In his time at Brandon University, Grills has also served on the Brandon University Research Committee, as Chair of the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, as the Brandon University representative of the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada and as a member of the Province of Manitoba's Working Group on Socio-Economic Status and Tuition Policy.
Scott Grills assumed the position of Vice-President (Academic & Research) on July 1, 2007.
REINHOLD KRAMER - Acting (January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007)
No biographical information yet.
STEVEN ROBINSON - Acting (January 1, 2008 - July 30, 2009)
Steve Robinson obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Guelph. He also studied Classics at Queen's University. He came to Brandon University in 1996 as a member of the Philosophy Department.
G. BRUCE STRANG (August 1, 2009 - December 31, 2014)
Bruce Strang obtained his Ph.D. in History and an M.A. in History from McMaster University and a B.A. (Honours) from the University of Winnipeg. He came to Brandon University from Lakehead University, where he was a member of the history department. At Lakehead, Strang had also served as Acting Dean of Social Sciences & Humanities and Chair of the Department of History. After stepping down as Dean of Arts, Strang returned to teaching in the history and business administration departments at Brandon University.
DEMETRIOUS TRYPHONOPOULOS (January 1, 2015 - July 1, 2019)
No biographical information yet.
LISA ROBSON - Acting (June 1, 2019 - 2020)
Custodial History
Accession 17-2000 was donated to the McKee Archives by Dr. Robert Florida, Dean of Arts. Accession 24-2000 was donated to the McKee Archives by the Dean's Office in October 1999. Accession 03-2005 was donated to the McKee Archives by the Dean's Office in June 2005. Accession 04-2005 was transfered to the Archives from the Dean of Arts Office in February 2005.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series consists of a number of accessions.
Accession 17-2000, consists of personnel records of faculty members who have left Brandon University or who have left the employment of the University through retirement or death. In addition, the records of the Northern Manitoba Business Institute, which was operated as a feature ofthe Faculty of Arts, are included. This accession contains 36 cm of texutal records and covers the years 1967-1986.
Accession 24-2000, consists of personnel files for the following members of the Faculty of Arts: C. Acosta-Gonzalez, M. Abou, J. Barletta, M. Bartosova, R.Bazillion (University Librarian), M. Blanar, H. Burmeister, D. Campbell, J. Chyzyk, L. Clark, F. Ezeala-Harrison, L. Hallat, K. Hanly, S. Hunter-Harvey (Vice-President Academic and Research), B. Jukpor, L. Kaufman, I.Makus, J. Rastel, M. Ruml, K. Saundrs, J. Skinner, Z. Yiheyis. In addition, the accession also includes miscellaneous records dealing with the Northern Manitoba Business Institute, the Brandon University Foundation, Attrition, and Remunerations of instructional staff. This accession contains 30 cm of textual records and covers the years 1962-1995.
Accession 3-2005, consists of personnel files for Dennis Anderson, William DeHaney, Trevor Denton, Robert Florida and Trevor McNeely. Files include curriculum vitae, correspondence, sabbatical applications, notes, paperwork related to courses and certificates. This accession contains 17 cm of textual records and covers the years 1977-2004.
Accession 4-2005, consists of Dr. Robert Brockway's personnel file. The file contains correspondence and copies of articles written by Brockway. The file consists of 5 cm of textual records and covers the years 1966-1999 (predominantly 1972-1985).
Notes
History/Bio information for Scott Grills was taken from the Dean of Arts page of the Faculty of Arts webpage at http://www.brandonu.ca/academic/arts/Dean's%20Office/dean's%20message.html (December 2005). History/Bio information for Steve Robinson was taken from the Fall/Winter 2008 Alumni News.
Accruals
Further accruals expected.
Access Restriction
Personnel records are closed.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.1 Faculty of Arts
This is an artifically created sub sub series.
Pierian Spring was the by-product of a creative writing workshop taught by Dr. Robert Brockway at Brandon University in 1969. The members of the workshop met once a month and at the end of the year they deciced to produce a mimeographed book of poetry written by members of the group. They called it Peirian Spring, after the spot in Thrace from which the Muses came. In subsequent years, Brockway continued to teach the creative writing class as a non-credit extension course, however there were no further publications of Pierian Spring until Winter 1976. The later publications encorporated the writings of members of the group, but also included works by writers from across North America.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series consists of copies of one issue of "Aspen Grove" (1971) and numerous issues of "Pierian Spring" (1969, 1976, 1976-1989). It aslo contains a number of promotional pamphlets created by the Faculty of Arts. Included are pamphlets on: Arts One; the History, Religion, English and Creative Writing, Business Administration, Gender and Women's Studies, Classical and Modern Languages departments; liberal arts degrees: pre-professional programs for early and middle years teachers; Justice System Certificate; graduate programs in Rural Development; and general Faculty of Arts information.
Notes
History/Bio information on Pierian Spring taken from an article in "The Quill" (January 13, 1977).
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.1 Faculty of Arts
See RG 6 (Brandon University fonds), 7.1.4.1 (Brandon- Great Depression REsearch Project) and RG 6 (Brandon University fonds), 7.1.4.2 (Northern Great Plains History Conference) for History/Bio information.
Custodial History
See RG 6, 7.1.4.1 and RG 6, 7.1.4.2 for Custodial History information.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series has been divided into two sub sub sub series, including: (1) Brandon - Great Depression Research Project; and (2) Northern Great Plains History Conference.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.1 Faculty of Arts
Records were transfered to the McKee Archives by the Faculty of Education prior to 1997.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series consists of files containing correspondence and miscellaneous documents related to the Faculty of Educations' participation in committees and organizations outside the Faculty of Education, both on and off campus.
Notes
A partial inventory exists as a Word document.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.3 Faculty of Education
Sub sub series consists of items published by the Faculty of Education or written by members of the Faculty of Education, including: Faculty of Education Student’s Directory: October 15, 1976, November 27, 1979; Wednesday Newsletter: September 20, 1967 – November 29, 1967, December 6, 1967 – March 27, 1968, April 3, 1968 – November 20, 1968, November 27, 1969 – April 2, 1969; Teacher-Training Programme General Information Academic Season 1959-1960; Teacher-Training Programme General Information Academic Season 1960-1961; BUNTEP Newsletter – volume 1, no. 2 and volume 1, no. 3; and a pamphlet on the Bachelor of Physical Education Studies (three year degree).
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.3 Faculty of Education
Sub sub series consists of the following publications:
Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1956-1957; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1957-1958; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1959-1960; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1960-1961; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1961-1962; School of Music Academic Season 1962-1963; School of Music Academic Season 1963-1964; School of Music Academic Season 1964-1965; School of Music Academic Season 1965-1966; School of Music 1967
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.4 School of Music
12 boxes of scrapbooks; 6 cm index for the scrapbooks.
Scope and Content
The sub sub series consists of scrapbooks created by the Public Communications office. Scrapbooks for both Brandon College and Brandon University are included. The sub sub series has been further divided into:
SERIES ONE
Box 1: 1957-1963
Box 2: 1963-1969
Box 3: 1970
Box 4: 1970-71
Box 5: 1971
Box 6: 1970
Box 7: 1975-1979
Box 8: 1976-1985
SERIES TWO
Box 1: 1969 and Green Scrapbook 1967
Box 2: Books 1-4 1960-1964
Box 3: Books 5-7 1964-1966
Box 4: Books 8-9 1967-1969
Note: Detailed indexes exist for the scrapbooks in Series One and Series Two, except for Series One, Box 8 (1976-1985) and Series Two, Box 1 (1969/Green Scrapbook 1967).
SERIES THREE
Box 1: Box consists of twelve scrapbooks dating from 1980-1982 (predominantly 1982). Topics include: BU paid advertisements from various papers, BU coming events columns, help wanted ads, evening programs, various stories concerning BU, centennial coming events for Brandon, miscellaneous articles related to BU and education.
Note: Miscellaneous Scrapbooks located with Brandon College/University Scrapbooks, Series One and Two.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 10: Office of Development
10.2 Public Communications
Related Material
A file of miscellaneous newspaper clippings etc. titled "Brandon University," assembled by Eileen McFadden for the period 1979-1985, is located in the Institutional Files in the Reading Room.
Artifact catalogue containing 597 records from the Casselman survey 2003.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
The Westman Recycling Council was started by a small group of avid recyclers with financial and volunteer help from the Kiwanis Club of Brandon, among others. Volunteers organized the first outdoor recycling depots in June and October 1989. The first event with recorded minutes was the first annual meeting, November 15, 1989.
The organization was incorporated in February 1990, and became a registered charity in 1995. The Mission Statement was: "to support and promote the reduction, re-use, and recycling of material resources for the benefit of Westman's environment and future generations."
The major partner in the work of the organization was the City of Brandon. In 2003, Westman Recycling, in partnership with the City, built a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at the Brandon Landfill; Westman Recycling owned the building on the City-owned land. It was a $4 million structure - financed by federal and provincial grants (about one-quarter of the total) and a mortgage (about three-quarters). Details are in the Board and other Committee minutes and agreements.
In late 2005, Westman Recycling faced a severe cash crunch - as a result of poor markets for recyclables, changes in support funding from the Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation (MPSC), and a drop in public recycling levels. In February 2006, the City decided to sign a contract with another organization to operate the MRF; after that there appeared to be no role for Westman Recycling.
A general meeting on September 22, 2008 voted to dissolve the organization. At that meeting, the suggestion was made (agreed to by consensus) that the files of the organization be donated to Brandon University to be made available for researchers. A Board of Directors meeting on the same date voted to donate all remaining funds to a perpetual "Westman Recycling" fund with the Brandon Area Community Foundation.
A final wind-up meeting was held on March 26, 2009
Custodial History
The organization was overseen by volunteers / volunteer Board of Directors. The files were first held by volunteers / Board members in their homes. In May 1991, the organization hired David McConkey as Coordinator / General Manager, who was directed by the Board to manage the files on a daily basis from that date forward.
The files were kept in the organization's rented office space in the 1300 block of Pacific Avenue from May 1991 to September 1992, and then in the rented space in the Massey building at 6th Street and Pacific Avenue. The files were kept at the new facility at the landfill from April 2003 to February 2006. They were then stored in the basement of the Marquis Project, 912 Rosser Avenue, until August 2011 when they were donated to the S.J. McKee Archives, Brandon University.
Some files (e.g. minutes from 1995-96) were found to be missing entirely. Other files were disposed of by recycling and/or shredding as they were judged to be confidential (e.g. personnel), of an ordinary business nature only (e.g. invoices), or not useful for future research (e.g. extra copies, routine correspondence, building and equipment plans and other arrangements).
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records that document the origin, activities, demise, and legacy of the Westman Recycling Council. Records include minutes, financial summaries, scrapbooks, newsletters, brochures, media clippings, photographs and miscellaneous documents related to the construction in collaboration with the City of Brandon of Brandon's principal recycling facility.
Notes
Administrative history courtesy David McConkey. See additional notes on the organization in the curatorial file. Description by Tom Mitchell.
Records were held in the Faculty of Education prior to their transfer to the McKee Archives in 2000.
Scope and Content
Fonds deals with Brandon University projects in the education systems of Swaziland and Malawi. The fonds is a product of project activities and contins records including correspondence, project summaries and reports in relation to the CIDA/BU project in Swaziland/Malawi. Within this, orientation materials for new employees and preparation materials for overseas travel, outlines of goals within the project and staff development and workshop summaries can be found. Fonds includes recommendations and project proposals, along with correspondence regarding student and teacher grading, graduations and development assessments.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.3 Faculty of Education
See fonds level description (MG 3 1.14 W. Leland Clark) for history/bio information on W. Leland Clark.
Custodial History
See fonds level description (MG 3 1.14. W. Leland Clark) for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Sub sub series consists of primary sources related to Canadian agriculure in Western Canada from the Great War to the Great Depression drawn from the National Archives of Canada and the Provincial Archives of Manitoba; primary sources including interviews conducted by Dr. Clark for his PhD thesis and subsequent book titled Brandon Politics and Politicians; and various papers - published and unpublished by Dr. Clark, a few of his students, and other academics. Sub sub series also contains seven copies of Brandon Politics and Politicians.
Notes
A PDF version of this book is available. PDF courtesy Gordon Goldsborough, webmaster Manitoba History..
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
MG 3 Brandon University Teaching and Administration
1.14 W. Leland Clark
Archaeological testing began in the Crepeele locale in May 2003. The Casselman survey in the Crepeele locale was directed by Bev Nicholson and James Graham supervised the crew. Crew members were Sarah Graham, Jollana Bishop, Lisa Sonnenburg, Todd Kristensen, Michael Evans, and Emily Ansell.
Scope and Content
The director, field supervisor and some field crew kept daily journals of activities during the survey including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather are noted.
Field journals were scanned in their entirety as one multi-page PDF. However, each journal may contain information that relates to multiple sites or individuals. The entire PDF journal is linked to each file level description with the relevant page numbers indicated in the Scope and Content note.
Sub sub sub series consists of publications created by Ancillary Services or written by Anciallary Services' staff. It includes: pamphlet on the eco-conscious flor at Brandon University Residence (McMaster Hall).
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration and Finance)
Sub sub series consists of publications created by the Faculty of Science or written by Faculty of Science employees. Includes: pamphlet on the Applied Disaster & Emergency Studies (ADES) program.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
The Toal Commission was a Commission of Inquiry conducted by James Toal at the Prince Edward Hotel in Brandon,MB from 1971-1972. The purpose of this inquiry was to investigage a report published by the Brandon Police Department entitled, "Problem Metis Families, City of Brandon," as well as allegations of police harassment in the City of Brandon from January 1, 1970, onward. The report was prepared by the Brandon Police Department following a petition submitted to Mayor Wilton. The petition, signed by approximately thirty residents of Brandon's East End, requested that the city prohibit the sale of homes in their neighborhood to Native families. A copy of the report was obtained by the Brandon Sun, which generated a considerable public response that resulted in the investigation in question.
Custodial History
Records were ordered from the Archives of Manitoba by Brandon University Archivist Tom Mitchell and Brandon University history professor Jim Naylor in 2013.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records created over the course of the Toal Commission. It includes copies of verbatim transcripts of the Toal Commission hearings, as well as a commission of inquiry, a report on the commission, and indexes, which list the witnesses and evidence presented for each day of the hearings.
The Brandon College/Brandon University Women's Auxiliary was founded on February 17, 1955, with the purpose of a) foster[ing] good public relations between the university and the community, and to stress the importance of Brandon University to Western Manitoba; b) to gain a better knowledge of the functioning of Brandon University and; c) to improve the surroundings of the College/University's students and the university at large. They were to hold four regular meetings per annum, with an annual meeting in April, and one fund-raising tea a year. The organization raised money through these teas, as well as through receptions, with the intention of donating to the college/university and surrounding community, contributing to the furnishing of residences and offices at teh college/ university, as well as facilitating an annual community visitation day for the public to tour the university. The organization's name was change from the Brandon College Women's Auxiliary to the Brandon University Women's Auxiliary along with the renaming of the school itself on July 1, 1967. The organization was sometimes referred to simply as the Women's Auxiliary.
The Auxiliary was run by an elected President and Board of Executives. Its members, who were all mothers of Brandon College/Brandon University students, paid an annual membership fee. Subcommittees within the organization included those in charge of social organization, membership management, program management, phoning management, press and publicity management and project management; all of these were fronted by their own individual leaders from within the members, under the board of executives. The organization ceased meeting in 1975; the minutes from the final meeting reference difficulties filling executive offices before a motion was carried to disband.
Custodial History
Records were created and held by the Brandon College/Brandon University Women's Auxiliary until their dissolution on October 23, 1975, when a motion was passed to move the records to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records that relate to the organization of and activities coordinated by the Women's Auxiliary, as well as records detailing the contribution that the organization made to the university and community of and around Brandon. The records span the entire existence of the Women's Auxiliary from 1955 to 1975.
Records include meeting minutes, treasurers' statements, financial bookkeeping, correspondence, a copy of the constitution, records of members, members' addresses and phone numbers, lists of members' children attending school and their respesctive degree, lists of council members, event memorabilia, organization letter heads, donation receipts, newspaper clipplings, advertisements, publicity reports, meeting reports, visitation records, scrapbooks and scrapbook inventories.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the records. Description by Kayliegh Penner (October 2016).
Brandon University photograph collection (Observatory Opening)
Spring 1955 Alumni News (report on the founding of the organization)
Arrangement
Records are arranged in chronological order in four (4) subseries: 1) treasurer's books; 2) minute books; 3) textual files; and 4) scrapbooks and miscellany
The inaugural meeting of the Western Manitoba Home Economics Association (WMHEA) was held in September 1971, with 48 members. In 1973, the WMHEA members voted to affiliate with the Canadian Home Economics Association (CHEA).
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Margarite Hughes and other officers of the Western Manitoba Home Economic Association prior to their donation to the SJ McKee Archives on July 17, 2010.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes: minutes (September 1971 - May 2010); lists of executive members; membership lists; financial records; newsletters; scrapbooks; correspondence; records of special events; miscellaneous publications; and organizational banners.
Beverley Clare Hicks (nee Williams) was born in New Zealand in 1938. At the age of sixteen she began working as a nurse’s aide at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Auckland. From here, she began training at the same hospital and attained her Registered Nurse Diploma, after which she obtained her maternity nursing diploma from the National Women’s Hospital in Auckland.
Hicks came to Canada in 1962, and began to work at the Toronto General Hospital in the cardiac care unit. After returning to New Zealand to complete her midwifery training at St. Helens Hospital, she returned to Canada in 1964. She then completed Canadian university entrance equivalency courses in Vancouver while working at the Vancouver General Hospital emergency department. Because her nursing transcript included no psychiatric nursing, she travelled to Brandon in 1967 to participate in a six-month post-diploma course in psychiatric nursing.
Hicks’ passion was teaching, and after her six-month course was completed, she spent her time at the School of Nursing at the Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC), after which she was offered the opportunity to attend McGill University to obtain a Bachelor of Nursing degree with a psychiatric nursing specialty. Upon her return to Brandon, Hicks developed an in-service education program at the Brandon Mental Health Centre and began training psychiatric nurses to upgrade their skills, particularly in group therapy. She was also the first in Manitoba to train new community health workers. This community education sector of her career lasted nearly 20 years; she was responsible for travelling around Westman to deliver programs in suicide prevention, stress management along with other mental health topics.
As an educator, Hicks taught Family Life Education at Brandon University, Gerontology courses at Assiniboine Community College (ACC), and Counselling for the University of Manitoba Extension Department.
In the later part of her career, Hicks was responsible for resource and housing development for the final phase of the closure of the BMHC. While doing this, Hicks obtained a Masters Degree in Health Education in 1986 from the University of Manitoba.
The final stage of her education career consisted of being hired by Brandon University to teach in Canada’s first baccalaureate psychiatric nursing education program. Being in the education setting allowed Hicks to pursue further education at the doctorate level. Once she completed the required courses, Hicks retired from Brandon University to write her dissertation, "From Barnyards, to Bedsides to Books and Beyond: The Evolution and Professionalization of Psychiatric Nursing in Manitoba 1955-1980."
In 2020, with Lesley Peterson, Hicks published "Politics, Personalities, and Persistence: One Hundred Years of Psychiatric Nursing Education in Manitoba."
Beverley Hicks continues to live in Brandon, MB.
Custodial History
These records were in the possession of Beverley Hicks until she donated them to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University in December 2013.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of transcripts of interviews conducted by Hicks as part of the research for her PhD dissertation. The interviews were conducted with a variety of former psychiatric nurses, directors, educators and other ward staff regarding their experiences working at the Brandon Mental Health Centre and related groups and organizations. All of the interviews took place between March 2002 and October 2007, and all of the participants were over 65 years of age and had worked or trained between the 1940s and 1980s. The interviews conducted were not formal in nature, rather they were intended to be a casual conversation between Hicks and the interviewee. Each interview begins with a brief biography of the interviewee written by Hicks.
Each interviewee was interviewed once, except for Jack Holleman and Elinor Samuels. Hicks interviewed Hollman three times over the course of approximately a year. Samuels was interviewed twice.
Below is a brief account of specific topics and subjects discussed during each interview. This does not include the standard topics discussed in each interview (schooling, experiences, etc.):
Myrtle Barnett – Barnett was the wife of the first president of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba, Alf Barnett. During the interview, she discusses when the association began, and how Alf went to war from 1942 to 1945. It was during this time, Barnett claims, that her husband began to question why men could not be formally trained as psychiatric nurses. Barnett comments on how her husband treated the patients like human beings and discusses his relationship with the Association. She also talks about her husband’s time in World War II as well as their relationship.
Remi Beaudette – Beaudette was a long-time attendant/psychiatric nurse at the Brandon Mental Health Centre. His interview describes his participation in the association as well as what duties he conducted through his many years working at the centre. Beaudette goes into detail about the various wards he worked on and what his duties were on each specific ward.
Marlene Brichon – Brichon was one of the first psychiatric nurses to graduate under the first legislation of 1960. During her interview, she discusses the changes in medication and treatments during her time working as a psychiatric nurse, some of the incidents that occurred between nurses and patients, patients with schizophrenia (and what the nurses did to treat it), and her feelings towards the textbooks used in her schooling.
Jack Holleman – During Holleman’s interview, they discuss the association, his presidency, how he commissioned the Breen Report and how much he paid for it, as well as the report itself.
John Martyniw – During his interview he discussed his presidency of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba, the different locations he worked at (Selkirk Mental Hospital, Misericordia Hospital) as well as his teaching jobs (Selkirk as per the Province of Manitoba). Martyniw discussed his displeasure with how they treated him when he first came to Canada – as an attendant rather than a registered psychiatric nurse, as he was trained. They also discussed the textbooks used during his time as a teacher.
Annette Osted – During Osted’s interview, they discuss the Breen Report, a quote from Dr. Tavener, what patients should be called, Challenge and Change, The Task Force, and changes in legislation.
Shirley-Jo Paine – During Paine’s interview, they discuss her role in proposing the program for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses to Brandon University. They also discuss how supportive surrounding universities and colleges were of the new program at Brandon University.
Gerald Pronyk – Pronyk did not actively practice clinical psychiatric nursing, he focused his attention on the administrative and education side of nursing. The interview discusses his positions as the Director of Nursing Education in Selkirk, the Senior Nursing Administrative Officer, and a mental health program specialist in the mental health directorate in Winnipeg.
Janissa Read – During her interview, they discuss how she became interested in psychiatric nursing, how spirituality relates to psychiatric nursing, the distinction between a Registered Nurse and a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, and how others felt about the profession of a registered psychiatric nurse.
Elinor Samels – The interview begins with them discussing her achievements at the beginning of her career, after she finished school post-World War II. They follow up by discussing some of the patients she had to deal with, her participation in the Association, her coworkers and how they treated her, and how the new changes affected their day-to-day work.
Walter Tetzlaff – In addition to being a psychiatric nurse, Tetzlaff was also a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He discusses how much he got paid at the beginning of his career, how much his room and board cost during school, what school was like for him, the kinds of things he did after he got his degree, and the textbooks he needed for class. They also discussed what he did as a vocational counselor.
Tom Street – Street was the fifth president of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba and graduated from the Portage la Prairie School of Psychiatric Nursing in 1967. During his interview they talk about how he became interested into psychiatric nursing, where he did his schooling, how he was involved with the union and how he didn’t like it.
Notes
History/Bio information provided by Beverley Hicks. Description by Karmelle Tower (September 2018) and Christy Henry
