Library Reading Room, 2nd floor McKenzie Building looking south. Naming of the Library, etc. Many unidentified attendees, including: ?,?,?,?,?,?,?, Bernice Pettypiece, Dick McDonald, L.D. Whitehead, ?, J. Hardy, D. McNamee, ?, T.S. Gonzalez, ?,?,?, Gli Dimoinlangon, ?, Anne Harris, ?,?, Dr. John Lane, ?, Hazel Oakey, ?,?,?,?,?,?, Peggy Robertson, ?,?,?,?,?,?, Gol Aidun, ?
Library Reading Room, 2nd floor, McKenzie Building. Naming of the Library, etc.Dr. D.N. Wheeler, Chairman of the Senate Library Committee, Georgia Lightbody Whitman, Stanley Knowles, M.P., Chancellor, Dr. A.L. Dulmage, President
Library Reading Room, 2nd floor McKenzie Building. Naming of the Library, etc. L to R Dr. D.N. Wheeler, Georgia Lightbody Whitman, Dr. A.L. Dulmage, Stanley Knowles, M.P.
Library Reading Room, 2nd floor McKenzie Building looking south Naming of the Library, etc.L to R ?, Dr. M.V. Naidu, Dr. W.H.M. Hargreaves-Mauwdsley, G.P. Sutherland, ?, c. Kennedy, Michael Angel, ?,?,?,?, Dick MacDonald, ?,?, L.D. Whitehead, J. Hardy, D. McNamee, P. Constans, ?, T.S. Gonzalez, ?,?,?,?, Mrs. Sutherland, Gli Dimoinlongan, ?,?,?,?,?, Anne Harris, ?, Ella Mae Perdue, H.S. Perdue, ?, W. Entz, Hazel Oakey, Gerald R. Brown, Mary Hume, Molly Vance, Alice Londry, ?,?,?
Karsh portrait of J.E. Robbins, plaque, Clark Hall Library Reading Room, 2nd floor McKenzie Building. Naming of the Library, etc.Georgia Lightbody Whitman (?) Dr. J.E. Robbins, Dr. A.L. Dulmage, Glen P. Sutherland, alumnus and Co-Chairman 75th Anniversary Committee
McKenzie Building, 2nd Floor, Library Reading Room. Naming Ceremonies: John E. Robbins Library. Front Row L-R: A. L. Dulmage, John Robbins, Mrs. Georgina Lightbody Whitman, -, Dr. D. N. Wheeler (standing), W. H. N. Hargreaves - Mawdsley (Top of Head), M. V. Naidu, Glenn Sutherland (Alumnus), C. Kennedy, M. Angel (Pres. Man. Library Association), Dick McDonald (Alumnus), ?, L. D. Whitehead (Publisher-Brandon Sun) Background: H. V. Vidal, Cathy Robbins, R. B. Inch, Jos Hardy
Naming Ceremonies: John E. Robbins Library.L-R. Foreground: J. Knowles, L. Dulmage, J. E. Robbins, Georgina Lightbody, -, Michael Angel (Pres. Man. Library Association), W. H. N. Hargreaves, Mawdsley, M. V. Naidu, Glenn Sutherland, C. Kennedy, ?, ?, ?, T. S. Gonzales, ? Back: Dr. J. Lane, Anne Harris (Rivers), Hazel Oakley (Rivers), ?, ?, ?Background: Mrs. J. E. Robbins, ?, Bernice Pellyprod (Boissevain), ?, L. P. Whitehead, Jim Blanchard (?) alumnus, ?, P. Constans, Dr. W. Enty, Gerald Brown (alumnus), Prof P. M. Glaser, ?, ?
For biographical information see RG 6 Brandon University fonds, Series 3 Office of the President, 3.1 President's files.
Scope and Content
Photograph of John E. Robbins' (painted) portrait.
Notes
The original painting, painted by Frank C. Bensing, is hanging above the door to Government Documents in the John E. Robbins Library. Frank C. Bensing was an American portrait artist (1893-1983). He was a resident of New York City. His most famous subject was Joseph P. Kennedy.
Dr. John Everett Robbins was born 9 October 1903 in Hampton, Ontario the son of John and Gertrude (Brown) Robbins. He married Catherine St. Denis on 11 June 1934 in Ogdens, New York. John Robbins was raised in Darlingford, Manitoba. He attended the University of Manitoba graduating with a B.A. Hon 1928 and M.A.in 1929. Dr. Robbins completed a Ph.D at the University of Ottawa in 1935. From 1936-1951 he was Director of the Education Division, Dominion Bureau of Statistics.
Dr. 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: he was a member of Canadian Government delegations to foreign conferences, and, in 1951-52, he spent a year as Director of an educational project for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East.
In 1960, while editor-in-chief of the newly compiled “Encyclopedia Canadiana,” Dr. Robbins was asked to become President of Brandon College. From 1960 to 1967, he oversaw construction of the Arts and Library Building and Lecture Theatre, a Men's 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, Dr. Robbins was installed as the first President of Brandon University.
After his retirement from Brandon University Dr. Robbins was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the Vatican 1970-73. In the years after his departure from Brandon, he held many positions including President of World Federalists of Canada 1977-79 and President of the Canadian Writers Foundation
1976-78. Dr. Robbins served as Executive Chairman and Treasurer of Amnesty International in Canada 1973-75.
He was the recipient of an honorary LLD from the University of Manitoba (1967), Carleton University ( 1969) and Brandon University (1974). In 1994, the title President Emeritus of Brandon University was conferred on John Robbins by the Board of Governors of the University. Dr. Robbins died in 1995, at the age of 91.
Scope and Content
Dr. Robbins' administrative records are located in the Brandon University fonds.
Notes
Dr. John E. Robbins archival papers are held at the Library and Archives Canada.
