George F. MacDowell was born in 1913, in Prince Edward Island. He studied at Dalhousie University from 1930 to 1933, but did not complete a degree. During WWII, MacDowell served in Canada and Europe as a member of the Royal Canadian Signals Corps. After the war, he returned to Dalhousie University, graduating with a B.A. in 1947. Subsequently, he graduated with a Masters Degree in Economics from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. George McDowell taught at both Mount Allison University and the University of Alberta before coming to Brandon in 1957 to teach at Brandon College. He remained as a professor in the Economic Department until his retirement in 1979.
MacDowell's work was published in the Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science. In 1971, McClelland & Stewart published his account of the Brandon Packers strike of 1960 titled "The Brandon Packer's Strike: A Tragedy of Errors." In Brandon, MacDowell maintained a relationship with the local Association of Fire Fighters, aiding them with collective bargaining procedures. He also served as Chairman for the MacKenzie Seeds Board, and was a member of the Manitoba Development Corporation Board.
MacDowell never married and had no known children. He passed away on February 26th, 1986.
Custodial History
This collection was in the possesion of George MacDowell until his death. It was then held by the Brandon University Department of Economics until 1997, at which time it was transferred to the McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The bulk of this fonds falls into five main categories:
1. Records dealing with the Brandon Packers Strike of 1960 and the subsequent legal actions against the owners, including all 2215 pages of the Brandon Packers Strike Commission;
2. Records dealing with the Commission of Inquiry into The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex, including the complete transcript of the inquiry measuring approximately 5m. This Commission dealt with the conduct of Churchill Forest Industries, a company owned by a Swiss financial firm, which, in the 1960's, was given approximately 93 million dollars by the Roblin Provincial Government to develop The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex. Churchill Forest Industries and its parent company subsequently came under suspicion of fraud and accused of fradulently transfering The Pas Forestry funds into other foreign business interests;
3. Records dealing with business loans awarded by the Manitoba Development Corporation during the 1970's and 1980's to businesses primarily within Manitoba;
4. Records dealing with McKenzie Seeds, and McKenzie Steele-Briggs Seeds during the early 1980's when George MacDowell was a board member of McKenzie Seeds;
5. Records dealing with Professor MacDowell's career as a Professor at Brandon University, including records relating to his courses and to administrative activities.
To a lesser extent, this collection includes records dealing with the University of Saskatchewan College of Commerce, the publication the "Manitoba New Democrat," issues associated with politics, labor and union in the prairie provinces from the 1960's to the 1980's, articles from various economic periodicals including "Economica" and "Public Finance," a variety of government reports from 1941 to 1981, and records dealing with George MacDowells' relationship with the Brandon Firefighters Association.
Notes
File level inventory available. Description written by Mike White (2002).
1.5 cm textual records; 25 photographs various sizes; 3 strips of negatives
Physical Condition
Very good
History / Biographical
William Robert Morrison was born January 26, 1942, in Hamilton, Ontario. He graduated from McMaster University with a B.A. (Hons. English and History) in 1963, and an M.A. (History) in 1964. He completed his Ph.D. in Canadian History at the University of Western Ontario in 1973.
From 1964-1965, Morrison was a secondary school teacher in London, Ontario and from 1968-1969, he was a historical researcher at the National Historic Sites Service in Ottawa. Morrison began his career at Brandon University in 1969. During his time there he taught in the History Department and was also a member of the Knowles-Douglas Commission (1986-1987), a member of the Brandon University Senate (six years), Chairman of the Scholarship Committee (three years), a member of the Senate Executive Committee (two years), Chairman of the Athletic Directorate (three years), a member of the Board Budget Committee (two years), the originator of the English Proficiency Test for Graduating Students, a member of various Arts Faculty Committees, a member of the BUFA Executive (three years) and Chairman of the Department of History (three years). In addition, Morrison also played in the Brandon University Wind Ensemble, was a member of the Executive of the Western Manitoba Science Fair (four years) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Manitoba Record Society (two years). Morrison resigned from Brandon University in August 1989 to accept a position at Lakehead University.
At Lakehead University, Morrison was a professor of history at the Centre of Northern Studies. He left Thunder Bay in 1999 and moved to Prince, George, British Columbia to teach at the University of Northern British Columbia. Throughout his career he has also taught courses at the University of Victoria and Duke University. In addition, Morrison was the founding Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at UNBC. Morrison's research interests include Northern Canadian history, First Nations and Canadian-American relations. He is the author and co-author of twelve books and many book chapters and journal articles, most of them on the history of Northern Canada. In particular, beginning at Brandon University, Morrison has develped and maintained a close academic partnership with Kenneth S. Coates, and together they have published a number of works. Morrison has also served as the co-editor of the "Northern History Newsletter" and as a member of the advisory board of the "Northern Review."
William R. Morrison is married, with four children, and as of January 2006, living in Prince George, British Columbia.
Custodial History
Some the the material in this fonds was in the possession of the Brandon University Library prior to its possession by Dr. Morrison for use in the production of My Dear Maggie. The materials created by Dr. Morrison were in his possession until their donation to the McKee Archives in July 2002.
Scope and Content
The Morrison fonds is a result of the research conducted by Morrison in the Shellmouth region of Manitoba between 1986 and 1991 for the production of "My Dear Maggie." The fonds consists primariloy of pictures, homesteading documentation, and personal correspondence. Pictures include memberts of the Wallace family, their homestead and the Shellmouth area. Textual records consist of correspondence between Andrew Wallace and individuals at Brandon College ca. 1941, regarding the donation of the Wallace letters to the Brandon College Library. Photocopies of homesteading information from 1881 to 1905, as well as corresondence between Morrison and residents of the Shellmouth area regarding information about the Wallace family, are also included. Finally, there is extensive correspondence to and from Morrison in connection with the publication of "My Dear Maggie: Letters from a Western Manitoba Pioneer," a production of edited letters from the William Wallace fonds.
Notes
Information in the Location of Originals field, the History/Bio field, the Scope & Content field and the Arrangement field was taken from the William R. Morrison fonds finding aid written by Katie Pollock (2005).
There are photocopies of homsteading documentation, as well as letters to Maggie Wallace from William Wallace once he arrived in Canada. The orignals of the letters to M. Wallace can be found in the William Wallace fonds, while the originals of the homsteading documentation can likely be found in either the William Wallace fonds or through Archives Canada.
Storage Location
MG 3 Brandon University Teaching and Administration
1.5 William R. Morrison
Related Material
Additional records related to William R. Morrison are located in RG 6, series 7, sub sub series 7.1.1 (Dean of Arts). Other records relating to the Wallace family of the Shellmouth region can be found in the William Wallace fonds located in the McKee Archives (47-1997).
Arrangement
The fonds is divided into two files. The first file contains information that Morrison accumulated in his research for "My Dear Maggie," including pictures, as well as correspondence between Morrison and members of the Shellmouth community. The second file also contains correspondence between Morrison and members of the Shellmouth community, but consists primarily of communication between Morrison and a number of publishing companies.
