U of T Archives

U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:48:39 +0000

U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 11/08/2024 - 10:48

Cutline

The letter and flower, mailed by Harold Wrong to his brother in 1916, were donated to the ��߲ݴ�ý Archives in the 1960s (courtesy U of T Libraries)

Topic

Our Community

U of T Archives

First World War

Remembrance Day

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Libraries

Subheadline

The flower was pressed inside a letter sent by ��߲ݴ�ý graduate Harold Wrong a day before the Battle of the Somme

Harold Wrong was a First World War soldier who sent one last letter to his brother Murray on June 30, 1916. It contained a single pressed flower and one line: "All well with me."

The next day marked the Battle of the Somme and Wrong, who had graduated from University College just three years earlier, was never seen alive again.

The letter and flower were donated to the ��߲ݴ�ý Archives and the identity of the flower has been a mystery – until now.

Using new and emerging technologies and working with botanists and scholars beyond the university, U of T librarians, archivists and researchers from U of T Mississauga’s Old Books, New Science lab have solved the mystery of the 108-year-old Somme flower.

“In academia, we’re always curious and we always want to know things,” says Loryl MacDonald, associate chief librarian for special collections and director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. “And to think that a pressed flower like that is 108 years old and survived that long! The fact that the family had preserved the flower for so long is very touching.”

To those who ask why the type of flower matters, Jessica Lockhart, head of research at the Old Books New Science lab says, “Well, if you know the flower, you know more about Harold. You understand why he found it beautiful and why he wanted to share it.

“And that’s an important detail that tells us so much more about his final message.”

Read the complete story of the Somme Flower at U of T Libraries

With zoological illustrations, U of T graphic artist Irene Nosyk brought science to life

siddiq22 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:38:01 +0000

With zoological illustrations, U of T graphic artist Irene Nosyk brought science to life

siddiq22 Tue, 02/07/2023 - 11:38

Cutline

Pioneering illustrator Irene Nosyk at work in her studio in U of T's former department of zoology (photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Topic

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Faculty & Staff

Faculty of Arts & Science

Today, sophisticated data visualization tools and advanced imaging technology make it easier than ever for scientists and instructors to create their own images for use in research and teaching.

Irene Nosyk's detailed illustration of a crustacean (University of
Toronto Archives)

But prior to the advent of this technology, it was the job of gifted scientific illustrators to take data, field notes, samples and specimens and turn them into scientifically accurate illustrations for use in papers and lectures.

“When I joined the ��߲ݴ�ý in 1963, the technology associated with teaching was starting to change,” says Harold Harvey, a professor emeritus in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “But before that, you would come to your lecture with your hand-painted wallchart – maybe four by five feet in size – hang it up at the front of the classroom and teach with it.”

In what was then known as the department of zoology, those illustrations and charts were the creations of the late Irene Nosyk, a U of T staff artist from 1952 to 1976. During that time, she produced some 2,000 illustrations, paintings and wallcharts for use in publications and lectures.

It was a remarkable array of work, depicting a menagerie of organisms from marine invertebrates to insects to protozoa. She frequently sketched specimens while peering at them through a microscope. According to a 1957 Toronto Daily Star article, her work “received praise from other Canadian universities and from centres in New York.”

A wallchart by Nosyk showing the skulls of various
mammals (��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

When Nosyk joined U of T, her first studio was in the botany building at 6 Queen’s Park Crescent until she moved into the new Ramsay Wright Zoological Laboratories building in 1965. (A restructuring of biological sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science saw zoology and botany reorganized into the current departments of ecology and evolutionary biology and cell and systems biology.)

Nosyk was born in Chortkiv in western Ukraine in 1928. Following the Second World War, her family moved to Prague and then to Austria where she received artistic training at the University of Innsbruck, as well as the art academy of the Austrian artist Anton Kirchmayr. As she grew as an artist, her works were included in exhibitions and she was eventually offered a scholarship in Rome.

Before she could accept and continue her artistic training, her family moved to Winnipeg in 1949. Soon after, they moved to Toronto, where her father found work as a lab assistant in U of T's department of zoology. Nosyk attended the Ontario College of Art before being hired as the zoology department’s illustrator.

Nosyk’s personal paintings were often
inspired by the illustrations she created
for the department of zoology (��߲ݴ�ý
Archives)

Nosyk died in 2016, but the charts and some of her related paintings are preserved at the ��߲ݴ�ý Archives & Records Management Services (UTARMS) thanks to the care and forethought of Janet Mannone, the undergraduate coordinator in the department of zoology for many years; Garron Wells, former university archivist; and Marnee Gamble, special media archivist at UTARMS.

A selection of Nosyk’s work is currently on display in the St. George lobby of the Ramsay Wright building – a reminder not only of her artistry and scientific acumen, but also of a bygone era of research and academia.

The Globe and Mail remembers Robert Lansdale, known on campus as 'the U of T photographer'

davidlee — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 15:59:30 +0000

The Globe and Mail remembers Robert Lansdale, known on campus as 'the U of T photographer'

davidlee Tue, 09/14/2021 - 11:59

Cutline

(Photo by Jack Marshall)

Topic

St. Michael's College

Robert Lansdale, a press and commercial photographer who often shot pictures for the ��߲ݴ�ý, died on July 13 at age 90, the Globe and Mail reports.

Born in Etobicoke, Lansdale began his career at Federal Newsphotos of Canada. He photographed John F. Kennedy and John Diefenbaker, royal visits and Canadian swimmer Marilyn Bell after crossing the English Channel.

Later in his career, he joined a commercial photo studio and took on U of T as a client. He documented decades of university life, from convocations to classes with famed media theorist and U of T professor Marshall McLuhan. Beginning in the early 1960s, Mr. Lansdale was hired so regularly by the ��߲ݴ�ý that he was unofficially recognized by the university community as the “U of T photographer,” according to the Globe.

At U of T, he also photographed Margaret Atwood, a young Bob Rae as a student activist and interior and exterior views of the changing St. George, Erindale College (now U of T Mississauga) and U of T Scarborough campuses. The Robert Lansdale fonds in the U of T Archives comprise 50,000 photographs from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s. About 25,000 of his scanned negatives are available online through the archives' Campus Photographers collection.

Celebrating Hart House's 100th birthday: A photo gallery

davidlee1 — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Celebrating Hart House's 100th birthday: A photo gallery

davidlee1 Mon, 11/11/2019 - 00:00

Cutline

A view of Hart House in April of 1925 (photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Topic

Hart House celebrates its 100^th birthday today, but the building has served as a focal point at the ��߲ݴ�ý – and, indeed, the city – for more than a century.

It got its start before the First World War when Vincent Massey, a University College alumnus who would become U of T's chancellor and governor general, convinced his family to fund a building that would serve as a place for recreation and co-curricular activities. The Hart in Hart House comes from Massey's grandfather, Hart Massey.

Construction began in 1911, with Hart House officially opening its doors on Nov. 11, 1919. But before that official opening, during the First World War, the building was used as a training and rehabilitation facility for soldiers.

There have been controversies over the century – women weren't given full access to Hart House until 1972 – but Hart House is now an inclusive space and continues to this day to be a focal point for recreation, wellness, music, visual arts, theatre, literary arts, dialogue and more.

"Today, as we embark on our 100^th anniversary, Hart House is fully committed to ensuring that every student of this university – regardless of identity, background or ability – feels welcome at Hart House and sees themselves, their stories and their priorities reflected in what we do,” says John Monahan, the current warden of Hart House.

“If we do that, I am excited by the potential for the 100^th anniversary year to create unforgettable new memories for everyone who has ever engaged with the magic that is Hart House, as well as for those many who will be encountering Hart House for the first time.”

Read about Hart House's first century and its celebration events

This undated photo shows the land on which Hart House was built. Hart House was constructed on top of the buried Taddle Creek, which had been an important gathering place for Indigenous groups, including the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Under construction: This photo was taken after 1911. Massive foundations were needed to support the building, which pushed construction costs at the time from $500,000 to $2 million (photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Vincent Massey, his wife, Alice, and their two children pose in front of the Hart House cornerstone. The years 1911-1919 are inscribed on the cornerstone to mark the eight years of construction (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Before construction was finished, Hart House was used to help Canadian soldiers train during the First World War. Veterans used the building as a rehabilitation facility and are seen here playing badminton in the gymnasium in this photo taken between 1917 and 1919. Hart House officially opened its doors on Nov. 11, 1919, exactly one year after the war ended (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Hart House and Soldiers’ Tower in the 1920s: Although Hart House was opened in 1919, Soldiers’ Tower was not completed until 1924 (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Alumni gather in Hart House’s Great Hall for a convocation banquet in 1938 (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Attendees dress up for the Hart House Masquerade Ball in 1939, organized by the Sketch Club. The Sketch Club, which would later become the Hart House Art Committee, used the ticket sales from the ball to fund their art acquisitions, some of which are still part of the collection today (photo courtesy of Hart House)

By 1939, the world was at war again. Hart House became a place of refuge for hundreds of British children who came to Canada to escape the war. Children learned to sketch and paint at the art gallery while the gym was turned into a games area and the Debates Room was turned into a children’s library. In this photo from 1943, students in military uniforms lounge in the Hart House Library (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Under the conditions of Vincent Massey’s donation, Hart House was initially restricted to men. In 1954, permanent female washrooms were installed and women were allowed access to the Arbor Room, but only after 3:30 p.m. It wasn’t until 1972, five years after Massey’s death, that women received full access to Hart House. It took another 25 years for Hart House to see its first female warden, Margaret Hancock. In this photo, taken in the 1950s, women protest their exclusion (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stand outside of Hart House in 1951 during their month-long royal visit to Canada (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Over the past century, Hart House has been a forum for debate and dialogue, and has played host to prime ministers, world leaders, premiers, cabinet officials, diplomats and more. Perhaps the most famous debate took place in 1957 between a young Stephen Lewis and then-senator John F. Kennedy, who is sitting third from the left in the first row in front of the table. This debate also attracted protesters demanding that women be allowed to become full members of Hart House (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Long-distance runner Bruce Kidd (right) trains at the indoor running track alongside other student athletes in 1963. Kidd would compete in the 1964 Summer Olympics and later become the 11^th warden of Hart House. He also served as vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Alumni and graduating students gather at the Hart House quadrangle to listen to the legendary Northrop Frye as part of Hart House’s 50^th anniversary celebrations. Frye was named University Professor in 1967, U of T's first (photo courtesy of Hart House)

Varsity Blues athletes perform warm-up exercises on Back Campus before a football game in 1974. Hart House and Soldiers’ Tower stand in the background (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Acclaimed author and U of T alumna Margaret Atwood at the International Festival of Poetry in 1975, which was hosted at Hart House. Atwood graduated from U of T's Victoria College in 1961, later returning to serve as writer in residence. She has donated her papers to U of T Libraries, including the first handwritten draft of The Handmaid's Tale (photo courtesy of Hart House)

OISE library brings influential voices from Canada's past to life through digitization of tapes from 1970s (with video)

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 20:30:35 +0000

OISE library brings influential voices from Canada's past to life through digitization of tapes from 1970s (with video)

geoff.vendeville Fri, 09/13/2019 - 16:30

Cutline

OISE librarians Nailisa Tanner and Jenna Mlynaryk digitized and published recordings of interviews between famous Canadian politicians and Richard Alway, then a graduate student in history at U of T (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Libraries

For decades, reel-to-reel tapes of conversations with some of the leading Canadian politicians of a generation sat in a corner of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, all but forgotten.

But this summer, librarians at OISE have digitized and published the recordings to give the public easy access to wide-ranging interviews with leaders including former prime ministers John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson; Tommy Douglas, the Saskatchewan premier and former NDP leader who’s recognized as the father of universal health care; and Judy LaMarsh, a former secretary of state and the second woman to serve in federal cabinet.

The tapes were made in the early 1970s, shortly after the centennial of Confederation, to enliven Canadian history and civics classes in response to a blistering report on the state of education in these subjects. Edited versions of the tapes were sold through OISE until the early ‘80s for classroom use. The full recordings have never been available in their entirety, until now.

Nailisa Tanner, the collections and outreach librarian at OISE, and Jenna Mlynaryk, a master’s student in library and information sciences, put the unedited tapes online, along with transcripts and links to further reading. The originals will go to the ��߲ݴ�ý Archives at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library for safekeeping.

The recordings – which range in length from 45 minutes to three hours – offer insights into these historical figures’ personalities that can’t be gleaned from a textbook, including the sound of their voice and manner of speaking.

“There’s a lot of information that’s difficult to convey in writing,” Tanner says. Through the OISE tapes, “we get more of a candid sense of who these politicians were. For example, we get a sense of the way John Diefenbaker was a really great storyteller, very animated and charismatic.”

The interviews were recorded in reaction to an indictment of Canadian history and civics education in the mid-to-late 1960s by A.B. Hodgetts, a teacher at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont. He and his staff carried out extensive research involving questionnaires, interviews with students and teachers, and direct observation of classes in 247 schools in cities across the country. They found the courses to be almost universally “antiquated” and “dry-as-dust,” emphasizing rote memorization over actual learning.

OISE, then in its infancy, published the Hodgetts report under the name What Culture? What Heritage? and it became an unlikely bestseller.

Richard Alway, then a graduate student in history at U of T and an assistant at OISE, undertook an ambitious project: to record interviews with some of the top history-makers of his day to enrich Canadian studies classes.

“Here we are basically five decades, half a century, later,” says Alway, now 79 years old, in a video interview. “Therefore now they [the tapes] have another role. Indeed they are history themselves, they are part of the record.”

Alway later became the first lay president and vice-chancellor of St. Michael’s College at U of T.

Listeners should think critically about the interviews, he says, as they would other historical documents.

Take the interview with Diefenbaker, for example. “One of his great attributes and, I think, attractions for people was that he was such a terrific storyteller,” Alway says.

“All storytellers tend to embroider, at least around the edges if not even more centrally, on the theme that they’re portraying,” he adds.

Many of the conversations are significant today for different reasons than they were decades ago when they were recorded, Alway says.

In 1973, when he interviewed LaMarsh, one topic of conversation was a health plan by the Pearson government. But contemporary listeners may be more interested to hear her views on being a woman in politics and the law, which still resonate.

LaMarsh tells Alway that the media treated her as “a kind of a freak.”

“Things that a man could say, out of my mouth sounded unladylike and sort of un-soft and un-gentle, and it startled people and accordingly I was considered to be a hybrid.”

LaMarsh tells Alway that Pearson was less than enthusiastic about a proposal to hold a Royal Commission on the Status of Women. “He was not in favour of it – he was very irritated at me by my constant references to it and constant agitation for it,” she says.

The commission was nevertheless established in 1967. Three years later, it produced a report with 167 recommendations to reduce gender inequality.

Judy LaMarsh, one of Alway's interview subjects, in 1969 (photo by Reg Innell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Tanner says the LaMarsh interview stood out to her. “She talks about being perceived by the media as too loud, too shrill, not feminine enough – these are all things women in public still hear today.”

Robert Bothwell, the May Gluskin chair in Canadian history at U of T and author of The Penguin History of Canada, says the interviews may be useful to historians. “What you’ve got here is effectively eyewitness testimony,” he says.

The recordings can be helpful resources for teachers who want to bring the past to life. Bothwell has consulted videos of former prime minister Mackenzie King on YouTube, he says, just “to hear how the old boy sounded” so he could imitate him in lecture and get a chuckle out of his students.

Rose Fine-Meyer, in OISE’s department of curriculum, teaching and learning, says the criticism of history teachers in the 1960s wasn’t entirely fair. At the time, few teachers had access to resources beyond textbooks and encyclopedias, she says. But times have changed.

“If someone today is using a textbook and following it chapter by chapter, that is shocking,” she says.

History teachers have a wealth of resources at their disposal, including trips to museums or archives and sites with lessons plans. She adds that modern textbooks represent a wider array of voices and perspectives, some of which have been previously overlooked, such as those of Indigenous Peoples, Black Canadians and women.

The OISE tapes are one more arrow in teachers’ quiver, she says – including her own. She plans to use the interviews in classes meant for aspiring high school history teachers.

“I’m going to see what they craft out of [them] as lessons that they could use themselves and then I’m hoping they can put those into practice,” she says.

From Roberta Bondar to Oscar Peterson: Here are 12 famous honorary degree recipients from U of T convocations past

davidlee1 — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 20:22:06 +0000

From Roberta Bondar to Oscar Peterson: Here are 12 famous honorary degree recipients from U of T convocations past

davidlee1 Mon, 06/10/2019 - 16:22

Cutline

Jazz legend Oscar Peterson, who received an honorary degree from U of T, plays the piano at a convocation ceremony in 1985 (photo by Robert Lansdale/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Since Henry Holmes Croft was awarded a Doctor of Civil Law in 1850, the ��߲ݴ�ý has upheld a long tradition of recognizing individuals with honorary degrees.

Whether it was the first Canadian female astronaut or a winner of the World Series championship, the degrees are awarded to those whose accomplishments inspire ��߲ݴ�ý graduates, and who bring honour and distinction to the university by their very presence.

As U of T’s spring convocation continues this week, U of T News photo/video coordinator David Lee and archivist Marnee Gamble found several historical photos of impressive honorary degree recipients through the ages:

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

At spring convocation in 1992, Roberta Bondar was awarded a Doctor of Science, in the category of “Academic Disciplines and Professions – Aeronautics.” The honour coincided with the 25th anniversary of Erindale College (known today as U of T Mississauga). Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space, has a PhD in neuroscience from U of T.

(photo by Andre Souroujon)

Cito Gaston, the manager who guided the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series championships, received an honorary degree from U of T in 1994 – a Doctor of Laws in the category of “Academic Disciplines and Professions – Sport.”

(photo by Jewel Randolph)

At spring convocation in 1998, June Callwood was awarded a Doctor of Laws in the “Public/Community/Volunteer Service” category. The journalist, author and social activist, who died in 2007, was also honoured with a professorship in social justice at Victoria College.

(photo by Robert Lansdale)

Legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, the multiple Grammy Award winner, was awarded a Doctor of Laws honorary degree in June 1985 in the “Arts – Music category.” The Montreal-born Peterson was a renowned soloist and his work also appears on over 200 albums by jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie. Louis Armstrong called Peterson “the man with four hands.” A U of T Mississauga residence hall was named in his honour.

(photo by David Wohlfahr)

Mary Robinson, the first woman to become president of Ireland and hold the office of United Nations high commissioner for human rights, received a Doctor of Laws in the “Public Affairs category” during a special convocation ceremony in 1994.

(photo by Jack Marshall)

On June 1, 1964, classical pianist Glenn Gould received a Doctor of Laws. The multiple Juno- and Grammy-winning artist was an alumnus of the Royal Conservatory of Music, which founded the Glenn Gould School in 1997.

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

The 14^th Dalai Lama, whose religious name is Tenzin Gyatso, was awarded a Doctor of Laws in the “Public Service” category on April 27, 2004. He received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for heading non-violent opposition to China's occupation of Tibet.

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Christopher Plummer, an Oscar-winning actor whose career has spanned six decades, was awarded a Doctor of Laws on June 16, 2003 in the “Arts – Theatre” category. The Toronto-born actor has also won a Golden Globe, two Tonys and two Emmys.

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

In June 1999, ballet icon and U of T honorary degree holder Karen Kain was on hand to see fellow dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov receive his Doctor of Laws in the “Arts – Dance” category. Kain, one of Canada’s most renowned dancers, was awarded a Doctor of Laws in 1993. Baryshnikov is one of the most celebrated male ballet dancers in history.

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

In June 1995, former Paralympian and humanitarian Rick Hansen received a Doctor of Laws in the “Public Affairs” category. Hansen, who was left paralyzed from the waist down after an accident in his youth, won six Paralympic medals and three world championships in wheelchair racing. He founded the Rick Hansen Foundation in 1988 to fund spinal cord research and to change attitudes toward people with disabilities and remove barriers.

(photo by Janine Photo Studio)

In 1977, astronomer Helen Sawyer Hogg, known internationally for her research on globular star clusters, received an honorary degree, a Doctor of Science in the “Academic Disciplines and Professions – Astronomy” category. The honour coincided with the sesquicentennial of the ��߲ݴ�ý. Here she is pictured beside the David Dunlap optical telescope in the early 1960s.

(photo by ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Stompin' Tom Connors received a Doctor of Laws from U of T on June 19, 2000, in the “Arts – Music” category. The Juno-winning singer-songwriter, who played guitar and fiddle, has also received honorary degrees from St. Thomas University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

'Queen of the Hurricanes' Elsie MacGill and other U of T history-makers from convocations past

davidlee1 — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 15:00:26 +0000

'Queen of the Hurricanes' Elsie MacGill and other U of T history-makers from convocations past

davidlee1 Mon, 06/03/2019 - 11:00

Cutline

Graduating from U of T in 1927, Elsie MacGill went on to become an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, earning the nickname “Queen of the Hurricanes” (photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Topic

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Medicine

Hospital for Sick Children

Indigenous

Victoria University

The ��߲ݴ�ý has marked a number of convocation firsts – from educating the first Canadian-born Black family physician in Canada to granting the country’s first Bachelor of Science degree to a woman.

With spring convocation kicking off this week, U of T News photo/video coordinator David Lee and archivist Marnee Gamble dug up several historical photos of history-making members of the U of T community that, in some cases, date back more than a century.

(photos courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

In 1903, Emma Baker, left, and Clara Benson became the first women to earn a PhD from the university – earning degrees in philosophy and chemistry, respectively. They each eventually taught in the Faculty of Household Science. Benson, specifically, rose to the position of lecturer and, when the school was designated as a full-fledged faculty in 1906, became the university’s first of two associate professors.

(photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Graduating from U of T in 1927, Elsie MacGill was the first Canadian woman to earn a degree in electrical engineering. She went on to become an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, earning the nickname “Queen of the Hurricanes” for her work in turning a railway boxcar factory in northern Ontario into an aircraft assembly line. MacGill is pictured here prior to receiving an honorary degree from U of T in 1973.

(photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

A participant in the American Civil War, Anderson Ruffin Abbott was the first Black Canadian – who was also born in Canada – to be licensed as a family physician. He attended primary medical classes at U of T in 1867 and was admitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in 1871.

(photo courtesy of Victoria University Archives)

It’s believed that Nellie Greenwood became the first woman in Canada to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution when she received her undergraduate degree from Victoria University in 1884 – an experience she described as “a realm of pure delight,” according to historical documents.

(photo courtesy ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Oronhyatekha, which means “Burning Sky” or “Burning Cloud” in the Mohawk language, studied medicine at U of T, where he earned his MD in 1866 – the first Indigenous student from U of T to become a practising doctor and the second in Canada. In the years that followed, Oronhyatekha served as a solider, the president of the Grand Council of Canadian Chiefs and practised medicine throughout southwestern Ontario and western New York.

(photo courtesy of Victoria University Archives)

Ann Augusta Stowe-Gullen was the first woman to graduate from a Canadian medical school. Born in Mt. Pleasant, Ont., Stowe-Gullen was educated at the Toronto School of Medicine, and then at the Faculty of Medicine at Victoria University. She became an MD in 1883.

(photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Frederick Scott became the first U of T student to receive a PhD degree in 1899 after the degree program itself was introduced two years earlier. His physiology thesis topic was focused on nerve cells.

(photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

U of T awarded its first honorary degree to Henry Holmes Croft – a Doctor of Civil Law – in 1850. Croft was an author and professor of chemistry who served as U of T’s vice-chancellor from 1850 to 1853.

(photo courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Arlington Franklin Dungy was Ontario’s first Black dental school graduate. Originally from Windsor, Ont., Dungy earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry in 1956. Just over 10 years later, in 1969, he was named chief of pediatric dentistry at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

#WeTheNorth: U of T students, faculty and staff cheer on the Raptors

davidlee1 — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:50:37 +0000

#WeTheNorth: U of T students, faculty and staff cheer on the Raptors

davidlee1 Fri, 05/31/2019 - 14:50

Cutline

Support for the Raptors was on full display at U of T before, during and after the team's Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors (UTSC photo via Twitter.com)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Undergraduate Students

Varsity Blues

The Toronto Raptors’ long road to the NBA Finals started before most ��߲ݴ�ý undergraduate students were born. But that didn't stop them from being among the loudest, proudest fans cheering on the team last night.

Students – as well as many faculty and staff – held viewing parties on campus and took to social media to celebrate as the Raptors defeated defending champions Golden State Warriors in the opening game, 118 to 109.

“Their defense was great, and it wasn’t our best night,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game. “We just got outplayed.”

The win came as no surprise to John Campbell, head coach of men’s basketball at U of T, who predicted the Raptors will win the series.

And it made total sense to U of T’s Jeffrey Rosenthal, a professor in the department of statistical sciences and author of Knock on Wood: Luck, Chance, and the Meaning of Everything. Rosenthal predicted a Game 1 win and gave the Raptors the edge to win the NBA Finals.

As for simply being Raptors fans, here's a snapshot of what took place elsewhere among the U of T community over the past 24 hours:

Students, faculty and staff show off their Raptors gear at U of T Mississauga.

Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, added a Raptors tee to his wardrobe.

Faculty member Ron Levi weighed in on U of T’s support of the Raptors and their history-making NBA Finals appearance.

Students gather to watch the game on a big screen at a viewing party at U of T Scarborough.

U of T’s Joe Wong rubs social media shoulders with Raptors “superfan” Nav Bhatia.

President Meric Gertler is a Raptors fan, too.

The ��߲ݴ�ý Archives takes a historical look at the situation.

Faculty member Mark Fitzpatrick is decked out in Raptors gear at U of T Scarborough.

Some members of the U of T community have been monitoring the Raptors closer than others.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Can’t wait for Sunday’s game? Need more Raptors’ content? We’ve got you covered:

Jurassic Doc: Howard Petroff Keeps the Raptors in the Game

U of T basketball coach Tamara Tatham joins Raptors 905 as first Canadian woman in the role

Basketball, charity, family: Raptors President Masai Ujiri speaks at U of T's Black History Luncheon

A deal with the Raptors: U of T dance-tech startup builds industry cred

Raptors' dentist preps for NBA All-Star Game: “When they're hit, they're hit hard”

A window to the past: Check out these archival photos from over a century of U of T convocations

davidlee1 — Fri, 24 May 2019 21:03:26 +0000

A window to the past: Check out these archival photos from over a century of U of T convocations

davidlee1 Fri, 05/24/2019 - 17:03

Cutline

A garden party for convocation in June 1926 (courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Topic

University Health Network

Woodsworth College

In just a couple of weeks, the ��߲ݴ�ý's front campus will be crowded with people hugging, high-fiving and snapping selfies to celebrate convocation. They will be continuing a long tradition enjoyed by countless students and their families as they mark a significant milestone.

U of T photo/video coordinator David Lee and archivist Marnee Gamble dug up some special moments caught on film between 1870 and 2000. Some of the photos are clearly of their time, but if they weren't in black and white, others look like they could have been taken just last year.

Here’s a few snapshots of U of T convocations past:

(courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

U of T has been training medical doctors since 1843. Much more than the fashions have changed since 1870-1871, when this graduating class of what was then known as the Toronto School of Medicine posed for a picture.

The graduates above are, from left to right, G.W. Jackes, S.R. Richardson, J. Donaldson, W.M. Forrest, G.H. Cowan, C.Y. Moore, R.H. De La Matter, and A. Taylor.

(courtesy of ��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

An unidentified man wearing a turban walks past the ivy-covered walls of Convocation Hall before a graduation ceremony in 1938.

(courtesy of Herb Nott & Co. Ltd./��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

A group of graduands gather on the front campus just before convocation in 1960. The Sigmund Samuel Library behind them (now the Gerstein Science Information Centre) was the main library on campus until Robarts was built in the 1970s.

(courtesy of Robert Lansdale/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Twins Edward and Jay Keystone (centre), after receiving their medical degrees at the 1969 convocation. Both went on to become professors at U of T. Edward is a rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and the director of the Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease.

Jay is a staff physician on the Tropical Disease Unit at the University Health Network and a renowned expert in infectious diseases. He's done field work in Africa, India and South America, and he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2015.

“Hard to believe we got through medical school!” Edward joked in an email to U of T News.

(courtesy of Robert Lansdale/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Eleanor Phillips shows the acting high commissioner for Jamaica, R. Aston Foreman, her B.A., which had just been conferred at a June 1970 convocation. Phillips is the daughter of Rowland Phillips, the first chief justice of Jamaica post-independence. Because they couldn't attend their daughter's convocation, her parents were represented by Foreman and Danny Powell, resident manager in Canada of the Jamaica Development Bank.

(courtesy of Robert Lansdale/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

An unnamed graduand adjusts her mortarboard before the traditional procession from University College to Convocation Hall in 1970.

(photo courtesy of Robert Lansdale/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

A convocation marshal addresses graduates in University College's West Hall in June 1971. The role of convocation marshal still exists today – and it's no easy task. “We need to keep the graduates manageable and happy at the same time,” marshal Paul Babiak told U of T News in 2016.

(courtesy of Homa Fanian/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

In June 1990, when the likes of Madonna, Roxette and New Kids on the Block topped the Billboard charts, graduates and their guests gathered on front campus for celebratory hugs and pictures.

(courtesy of Homa Fanian/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Claire Stephenson, 87, stands for a portrait outside Woodsworth College before convocation in 1995. She completed a B.A. in the spring.

(courtesy of Susan King/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

Two graduands share a laugh inside Convocation Hall in 1997.

(courtesy of Susan King/��߲ݴ�ý Archives)

The first graduating class of the new millennium, in June 2000, enter Convocation Hall.

Courage and sacrifice: A look back at U of T during the First World War

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 16:26:41 +0000

Courage and sacrifice: A look back at U of T during the First World War

noreen.rasbach Fri, 11/09/2018 - 11:26

Cutline

Postcards sent home from France during the First World War by Gerald Blake, U of T alumnus and grandson of Edward Blake, former U of T chancellor and premier of Ontario (Postcards from U of T Archives; photo by Romi Levine)

Topic

At the outset of the First World War in 1914, an unfinished theatre in the basement of Hart House was commandeered for trench warfare drills. The set – painted to depict a battered Belgian village –provided the backdrop for rifle practice by students who had enlisted in the Canadian Officers' Training Corps. The set designer, Lieutenant Lawren Harris, would go on to become one of the famed landscape artists in Canada’s Group of Seven.

It was one of the more fascinating periods of the ��߲ݴ�ý's storied history, as recounted in The ��߲ݴ�ý: A History by author Martin L. Friedland, University Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Law. In his chapter on the Great War, Friedland captures not only the heroics and sacrifices of those who saw active service, but also the ingenuity and enterprise of students and faculty who supported the war effort from home. By Nov. 11, 1918,“the long agony was over,” Friedland writes, quoting from the U of T's official Roll of Service.

But there were profound and lasting effects. On the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War, his account provides a compelling refresher:

While no amount of training could prepare young U of T recruits for the horrors they would face, there were incredible acts of courage. Major Thain MacDowell (pictured left, courtesy of U of T Archives) won the Victoria Cross for his actions at Vimy Ridge, where, despite being separated from the rest of his unit, he and two other men took control of two German machine guns. They chased a fleeing gunner down a tunnel, only to encounter 77 more German soldiers. “MacDowell convinced them they were surrounded by a larger force, and so brought about their surrender,” Friedland writes.
Physicians put themselves in the line of fire to deliver new treatment methods to the ill and wounded. Surgeon Bruce Robertson, a U of T medical graduate, took his modern blood transfusion knowledge to the front lines at a time when physicians from allied countries were still routinely replacing lost blood with saline solutions. Two influential articles by Robertson, published in the British Medical Journal, changed attitudes about the use of blood transfusions for saving lives, Friedland writes.

Read: From heartbreaking letters to triumphant trophies: 12 objects that tell the story of U of T during the Great War

Then and now: Take a look at these photos of the First World War on campus

Neither upbeat nor sombre: U of T alumnus commissioned to compose new carillon piece to mark First World War

Where and when to attend Remembrance Day events across U of T's three campuses

Crates containing serums made by Connaught Laboratories, created en masse to assist the war effort (photo courtesy of U of T Archives)

Public health pioneer John FitzGerald, founder of Connaught Laboratories, overcame the U of T’s initial reluctance to become involved with a commercial venture and incorporated his development of antitoxins into the department of hygiene. Robert Falconer, U of T president at the time, received $5,000 in support from the federal government – the first grant ever received by U of T from the federal government for laboratory work. It went towards production of tetanus antitoxin, as well as smallpox and typhoid vaccines, and, according to the U of T hygiene professors, reversed the trend of more Canadian men dying of disease than of wounds in France.
On the home front, with so many of their male classmates and professors enlisting in the medical army corps or working in field hospitals, the number and proportion of women in the Faculty of Medicine increased considerably. At Victoria College, women outnumbered men by the end of the 1916 academic year and the number of women in junior faculty positions at the university had increased from 15 to 60 by the end of the war. Almost all of the students who remained on campus during the war years signed up for national service, taking on the work of men who had gone overseas. Classes ended a month earlier than usual so female students could plant, harvest and sell farm crops.
Throughout, students became accustomed to unusual sights – a Sopwith Camel aircraft in front of University College, for instance. The campus had become a training ground for the British Royal Flying Corps and tent cities cropped up to accommodate the airmen. Canada did not have its own air force at the time, so Canadians and Americans had to join the British outfit if they wanted to fly. American novelist William Faulkner, who was 20 at the time, trained at U of T, where some of the lectures were delivered by members of the engineering faculty.
The Faculty of Engineering engaged in organized industrial research for the first time. Many professors also contributed directly to the war effort, using their expertise and lab equipment to test chemical explosives or the steel casings of shells. In 1918, the faculty of engineering obtained Canada’s first wind tunnel, which allowed the testing of aircraft by simulating flight without risk to the pilot.
Overseas, the casualties were horrendous. Friedland writes that about 10 per cent of the 6,000 U of T people who went to war lost their lives and likely an equal number were wounded, gassed or captured. As the veterans returned to campus, U of T psychology professor E.A. Bott developed rehabilitation methods to treat not only the physical wounds, but also the mental wounds. His colleagues in the engineering faculty became involved in the rehab efforts, training more than 300 women as occupational therapists. Surgeon Alexander Primrose, who helped form the Ontario Society for Occupational Therapists shortly after the war, wrote that the work of the therapists helped shorten the patients’ recovery time.
One hundred years ago at U of T, on Nov. 11, “the buildings were closed, and for a day, all gave themselves up to common rejoicing,” records the Roll of Service.

Read more about the First World War at U of T:

U of T Archives

U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier

Read the complete story of the Somme Flower at U of T Libraries

With zoological illustrations, U of T graphic artist Irene Nosyk brought science to life

The Globe and Mail remembers Robert Lansdale, known on campus as 'the U of T photographer'

Read more about Robert Lansdale in the Globe and Mail

Celebrating Hart House's 100th birthday: A photo gallery

Read about Hart House's first century and its celebration events

OISE library brings influential voices from Canada's past to life through digitization of tapes from 1970s (with video)

From Roberta Bondar to Oscar Peterson: Here are 12 famous honorary degree recipients from U of T convocations past

'Queen of the Hurricanes' Elsie MacGill and other U of T history-makers from convocations past

#WeTheNorth: U of T students, faculty and staff cheer on the Raptors

Can’t wait for Sunday’s game? Need more Raptors’ content? We’ve got you covered:

A window to the past: Check out these archival photos from over a century of U of T convocations

Courage and sacrifice: A look back at U of T during the First World War