JAMES McGILL SOCIETY
Annual Report
2021- 2022
The James McGill Society had a good year with five well-attended virtual and hybrid meetings.
Concerning the Society’s forthcoming 2022-23 program, our plan is for hybrid meetings – in-person and virtual. Even without the health crisis, there are strong reasons for continuing with a virtual option, as this seems to reflect members’ preferences. Technical, and financial concerns will have to be taken into consideration. Vaccinations along with caution in large gatherings continue to be advisable. The proposed program for 2022/23 is:
Monday, September 19. “Roy States:: McGill’s Master of Ceremonies, Black Activist, historian, book collector and donor.” Christopher Lyons. Faculty Club, Main Dining Room and Virtually, 199th Meeting.
Monday, November 7. “No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) and World War I.” Tim Cook. Faculty Club, Billiard Room and Virtually, 200th Meeting, The Stanley Frost Annual Lecture
February 2023. “Cyrus MacMillan – Scholar, Soldier, Politician” Kathleen MacMillan. 201st Meeting. Place and Date to be determined. (Maysie MacSporran Annual Lecture)
April 2023. Speaker and Date to be determined. 202nd Meeting.
Please note that on November 7th the Society will hold its 200th presentation.
Last year’s program covered a wide range of topics, as the Society completed the last of its Bicentennial talks. An advantage to holding virtual presentations was made clear with Dean Jobb’s presentation from Halifax.
Review of 2021/2022 Programme:
Monday, September 20, 2021. “The Diabolical Dr Cream,” by Dean Jobb. A Virtual Presentation. 194th Meeting.
Monday, October 25, 2021. “The Macdonald-Stewart Foundation,” Bruce Bolton. Faculty Club Ball Room and Virtually. 195th Meeting.
Monday, December 6, 2021. “McGill University, 1970-2002,” by Peter F. McNally. Faculty Club Ball Room and Virtually. 196th Meeting. Stanley Frost Annual Lecture.
Monday, February 21, 2022. “Community Builders for McGill and Beyond.” by Gordon Burr. A Virtual Meeting. 197th Meeting.
Monday, April 25, 2022. “The Maude Abbott Medical Museum Lost and Found Department" by Dr Rick Fraser. Faculty Club Ball Room and Virtually. 198th Meeting. Maysie MacSporran Annual Lecture.
One hundred years ago, in 1922, the Faculty of Graduate Studies was created, the new Biology Building opened (now the James Building), and McGill received its coat-of-arms from Garter-King-at-Arms. London. Fifty years ago, in 1972, the Samuel Bronfman Building opened and the McGill University Non-Academic Staff Association (MUNASA) was founded.
Members of the McGill community who passed away over the year include Prof. Michael Perceval-Maxwell, Past-President of the James McGill Society; Jean de Grandpré, McGill Chancellor, 1984-1991; and Jane Yaple Mȍller a long-time member and widow of Dr. Hans Mőller. A former member of the Society, Eleanor MacLean (1947-2018) BSc’67, MLS’69, left a $1.5M bequest to McGill’s Blacker-Wood Library.
The James McGill Society Prize, 2021/2022, for the best undergraduate essay on McGill’s history, or for an essay making the best use of McGill’s research collections is awarded to Mathilde Lehoux, “The Cook Celebrations: Rise and Fall of a Medical Student Tradition.” We look forward to presenting the $200.00 award at a fall meeting. Thanks are extended to the Prize Committee, Prof. D. Nerbas and G. Burr, and to Prof. Suzanne Morton - Ms Lehoux’s supervisor.
I would like to thank the President, Ron Critchley and the members of the Council for their continuing and unwavering support and encouragement. This has been a difficult time both collectively and individually. Even so, our sense of community and support for the historical study of McGill University remains strong.
Adria Seccareccia and past president, Gordon Burr are thanked for their technical assistance in ensuring that events ran smoothly. Particular thanks are due to Stewart McCombie, Jonathan Roy and John Childs - Multimedia Services - for their patience, professionalism and good humour.
Tom Thompson and Susan Button deserve special thanks and appreciation, as always, for their loyal service to the Society. Martlet House is also thanked for handling donations to the Society, bookkeeping service, and distribution of notices.
Deepest thanks are extended to the members of the James McGill Society for loyal support over many years. I look forward to seeing you, virtually and in person, at our meetings during the coming year and expressing individual thanks to everyone.
Respectfully submitted
Peter F. McNally
Executive Secretary & Professor Emeritus