Gerald Norman McLeod was born on August 15, 1910 in Renfrew County, Ontario. As a boy his parents moved to Bounty, SK to try farming. In 1927, they moved to Pine Falls, MB where Gerald lived for a number of years and worked in many capacities for the Manitoba Paper Company. In 1943, he enlisted in the army and served overseas with the Royal Canadian Signal Corps until returning to Canada to marry Joan Louise (Woods) Woolverton (1912-2013) in 1946. Upon his return he got a job working with the National Film Board. In 1950, the couple moved to Glenboro, MB where they lived and raised their children: Gail Woolverton, David Woolverton, Sheldon McLeod and Ann McLeod. Gerald retired from the National Film Board in 1973. In retirement he continued activities in photography and gardening. He also canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Gerald McLeod died on October 8, 1995 in Glenboro, MB. He is buried at Pine Falls Community Cemetery.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Gerald McLeod, that he entitled "Root, Hog or Die." The interview covers various jobs Gerald held during his life, including various positions at a lumber mill, cutting firewood with his father, his time as an engineer’s assistant, fighting forest fires as a volunteer and his first years working with the National Film Board. The interview also covers to great extent his political views during the 1930’s and his association with the CCF. He also speaks a great deal about the financial destitution people faced during his time in Saskatchewan and later in Manitoba during the Depression. Interviewer is Irene Brown.
Notes
History/bio information taken from obituary in the Glenboro Gazette. Transcript by Richard Bee (2014). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Audio Tracks
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Thomas Hector MacDonald McLeod (Tommy) was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in August 1918. During his youth in Weyburn, McLeod was a member of Tommy Douglas' Baptist congretation; it was Douglas who encouraged McLeod to attend Brandon College. McLeod attended Brandon College from 1937 to 1940. While there, he received scholarships in Bible, Economics, and General Efficiency, as well as receiving the Medal in Sociology during his final year. Following graduation in 1940, McLeod studied economics at the University of Indiana, receiving his M.A. in 1941. Later that year he returned to Brandon College to teach economics and sociology. From 1941 until 1944, he also acted as the Resident Master. He remained at Brandon College for three years. McLeod married Beryl (Pentland) Thompson c. 1943 and together they had five children: Beth, Ellen, Ian, Brian and Morna.
Following the election of Tommy Douglas as Premier of Saskatchewan, McLeod was employed in a variety of senior positions in the Saskatchewan civil service. In 1952, McLeod was named the Dean of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus.
In 1961, he served as the Chief Consultant (Ford Foundation) to the Turkish Government. In 1962, McLeod was the supervisor of an eight man team advising the Iranian government on Economic Planning Activities. He has also served as a Special Advisor in Public Administration and Higher Education for the Canadian Development Agency.
In 1963, he became the chairman of the Saskatchewan Royal Commission on Taxation. McLeod accepted the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Science, Regina Campus at the University of Saskatchewan on May 15, 1964. In May 1965, he became Vice-Principal of the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus.
McLeod had a Ph.D. in Government and Economics from Harvard. As well, he was a past recipient of the Vanier Medal (1971) for outstanding contribution to public administration in Canada. In 1987, McLeod wrote a book entitled "Tommy Douglas: the Road to Jerusalem." Also in 1987, McLeod was awarded an honorary degree from Brandon University. In 2003, McLeod was awarded the Order of Canada.
Thomas Hector MacDonald McLeod died on January 1, 2008 in Victoria, BC.
Custodial History
McLeod donated a copy of the paper, subsequently published in Manitoba History, to the McKee Archives c. 1995.
Scope and Content
Thomas McLeod’s records consist of a paper written in 1995, entitled "S.J. McKee of Brandon College: A Biographical Note on a Man and an Institution." This paper is a brief history of Brandon College and S.J. McKee’s role in the formation of it. Beginning with the foundation of the short-lived Canada Baptist College, as well as the foundation of the Canadian Literary Institute, McLeod traces the history of Baptists and higher education. The paper is a fairly good guide to researchers wanting to know a bit of the background behind Brandon College. The bibliography in the back also gives researchers several ideas on where to look for additional information.
Notes
Obituary is in the January 5, 2008 Globe and Mail. H. Clare Pentland and Tommy McLeod studied economics together at Brandon College under W.T. Easterbrook, who later taught at the University of Toronto.
MG 1 Brandon College Teaching and Administration
1.6 Thomas Hector McLeod
Related Material
W. T. Easterbrook, “Clare Pentland-Brandon College, 1937-1940,” Canadian Journal of Political and Social Theory, vol. 3, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 1979), p. 101.
Photograph in the Brandon University gym of (L to R) Murray McLeod, Bob Mandziuk, Jerry Hemmings, and Junior Alexander(?) with the CIAU championship trophy after the men's Bobcats won the 1986-1987 season.
Photograph of (L to R) Murray McLeod, Jerry Hemmings, Junior Alexander (holding the CIAU trophy), and Bob Mandziuk with the CIAU banner for the 1986-1987 season in the Brandon University gym.
