Guides: History of Montreal & McGill: History of McGill

Book lists

History of Montreal Bibliography (UQAM)
Extensive bibliography of resources on the history of Montreal, prepared by librarians at UQAM. Resources in French and English.
TIP: Search for McGill in the searchbox (where it reads "Chercher les mot-clés..."). You can conduct a further search of these results to narrow in on your topic.

History of McGill Reading List

The following list includes items in the McGill Libraries' collection about and/or contextualizing the history of McGill University: https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org:443/list/22998386

Black McGill by Suzanne Morton
Publication Date: 2019

A look at McGill’s history (and necessarily Montreal’s history) within the larger currents of Black history by McGill History Professor Dr. Suzanne Morton. An excellent place to begin historical research on Black McGill faculty, students, and staff, or to consider how the past has influenced the present.
Indigenous McGill by Suzanne Morton
Publication Date: 2019

A look at the historical relationship of McGill University with Indigenous communities and peoples by McGill History Professor Dr. Suzanne Morton. An excellent place to begin historical research on Indigenous McGill faculty, students, and staff, or to consider how the past has influenced the present.

Finding resources in the library catalogue

Searching for books about McGill can be difficult as you will likely get many false hits for items published by McGill-Queen's University Press. Try searching the following subject headings instead of keyword searching:

su: McGill University
su: McGill University, Montreal History
su: McGill University Faculty
su: McGill, James, 1744-1813

Fontanus (journal)

Fontanus
The journal Fontanus is devoted to scholarly research based principally upon McGill University collections. The term “collections” is interpreted in the broadest sense, to include library, archives, specimens, artifacts, buildings and other forms of documentary evidence.
Try searching keywords in the search box of the journal's webpage, or browsing the archive.

Student records

Old McGill Yearbooks
The Old McGill yearbooks from 1898-2000 have been digitized, and can serve as an excellent way to research individuals.
McGill Calendars
Calendars of undergraduate classes, many digitized, from 1856-1984 (not inclusive). Depending on the year, the calendars include information such as courses on offer, professors' names and other information, as well as other general information about McGill.
McGill University Thesis Directories
Directories of graduate thesis conducted at McGill (1881-1975).
Vol. 1: 1881-1959
Vol. 2: 1960-1973
McGilliana: 200 Years of Student Life
Created in honour of the McGill Bicentennial (2021), this online exhibit includes a selection of objects, photographs, and ephemera related to student life.

Student Journals

Many departments print student-run journals, some of which are available in physical copy in the libraries or online if hosted by the student association. Try searching for journals by title in the Library Catalogue. Some are available from the following subject head search:

su: McGill University Periodicals

McGill Student Newspapers

The McGill Student publications collection comprises a variety of publications from 1875 to 2001. The chief long-standing student newspaper at McGill, The McGill Daily, was founded in 1911.

McGill Fortnightly (1892-1927)
Student newspaper that preceded the McGill Daily.
McGill Outlook (1898-1907)
McGill student newspaper that preceded the McGill Daily and ran concurrently with the McGill Fortnightly.
McGill Martlet (1909-1911)
McGill Daily (1911-2001)
The primary English-language student newspaper of McGill University, founded in 1911.
Le Délit (1998-2001)
French-language student newspaper of McGill University. Founded in 1997, digitized issues are available from 1998-2001.
McGill Student Publications
The McGill Student publications collection comprises a variety of publications from 1875 to 2001.

Student Enrolment

Enrolment Services offers statistics on undergraduate and graduate enrolments (e.g., gender, full-time, and part-time enrolment by faculty and major) from 1994 to 2003 in this archive: https://www.mcgill.ca/es/registration-statistics/archives-pre-2003

2003 to the present are available here: https://www.mcgill.ca/es/registration-statistics

The following paper offers some insight on enrolment at McGill before 1980:

Stanley Brice Frost and Sheila E. Rosenberg, "The McGill Student Body: Past and Future Enrolment," McGill Journal of Education/Revue des sciences de l'éducation de McGill (1980). https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/7309

Graduate Directories

Graduate Directories are available by appointment in the Rare Books and Archives reading room. These directories are not official records of the University but are published by the Graduates (Alumni) Society. An appointment is recommended, especially if you would like to meet with an archivist. The archivist can also let you know if there are any limitations or restrictions on access, as well as some other sources of information. To book an appointment, email Rare Books & Special Collections. Learn more about the Rare Books reading room hours and policies here.

McGill Annuals (Convocation Programmes)

Although some Annuals are digitized, not all have been made available electronically. Convocation programmes can be referred to on site.

Digitized Convocation programmes and proceedings:

1890
1914 (begins on page 9)
Women graduates of McGill 1922 (begins on page 5)

Video Archive of Convocations

Videos of McGill Convocations are available beginning in 2009.

Video Archive of McGill Convocations (2009-present)

Find historic photographs

McGill Archives Photo Collection Database
Search for photographs of McGill buildings, and other Montreal landmarks.
Archives de Montréal: photographie
The Archives de Montréal offers downloadable historical maps and photographs of some buildings and Montreal life.
McCord Museum: Notman Photo Collection
The Notman Photographic Archives consists of some 450,000 photographs from the Montreal studio founded in 1856 by William Notman (1826-1891) and run by his sons until 1935 under the name Wm. Notman & Son. Searches will be most fruitful if you include a specific time period to narrow down the large collection of photographs.
McCord Stewart Museum: Photography Collection
The Photography collection encompasses over 2.1 million images that primarily document the social history of Montreal, but also that of Quebec and Canada. Its holdings range from daguerreotypes created in the 1840s to contemporary digital images.

McGill architecture

John Bland Canadian Architecture Collection
Architectural archive of late 19th and early 20th century works by Edward and W. S. Maxwell, Percy Nobbs, and others forming a core of material relating to the built heritage of Montreal, both residential and institutional. The collection also houses some contemporary designs, including the work of outstanding graduates such as Moshe Safdie and Arthur Erickson. Also included are interior and furniture designs by Sigrun Bülow Hübe and landscape design by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and John Schreiber. The collection contains extensive material relating to several McGill campus buildings and serves as an important archive of the McGill School of Architecture. It houses selected projects by former professors and directors, as well as a significant number of drawings executed by students enrolled in the School of Architecture and instructed by such professors as John Bland and Ramsay Traquair.
Virtual McGill
Searchable database of information about the buildings of the McGill Campus. Search by building, architect or donor.

McGill University Archives

McGill University Archives and McGill Rare Books & Special Collections both hold archival resources related to the history of McGill. You may consider consulting the following resources:

McGill Archival Collections Catalogue
Search for primary sources held in McGill's archival collections. Some, but not all, items are digitized. For non-digitized items, email the repository to request an appointment to view the item in person or to learn more about the item.
McGill Institutional Records
Search institutional records including:
-Executive and administrative bodies
-Faculties
-Services
McGill Archives Photo Collection Database
Search for photos of McGill buildings, events, people, works of art, and more.
McGill Architectural Plans Database
Search for architectural plans of McGill buildlings.
McGill University Archives Audio & Film Collection Database
The McGill University Archives Film Collection consists of those films donated to the University Archives from both private sources and the University's administration. The bulk of the films were given by the Athletics department and to a lessor extent the alumni societies and public relations services. Therefore, a major portion of the collection reflects the activities, functions and concerns of those organizations.

The McGill University Archives Audio Collection consists of those audio tapes donated to the University Archives from both private sources and the University's administration. Roughly a third of the collection consists of audio tapes donated by the St. James Literary Society. The rest of the collection incorporates recordings of campus events, including convocation speeches, addresses at commemorative events, lecture series, and some interviews with staff and students.

A Guide to Archival Resources at McGill University
Publication Date: 1985

Available digitally.

McGill and the World Wars

World War I

Honour Roll (WWI)
McGill Honour Roll 1914-1918 is a commemorative volume published by McGill University in 1926 that includes the names of those who died while serving in WWI, as well as other enlistments.
McGill Daily Special War Contingent Supplement (March 1915)
Clare Gass War Diary (1915-1916)
This personal journal recounts the experiences of Clare Gass, a nurse with the Canadian Army Medical Corps of the #3 Canadian General Hospital in France and England from March 4, 1915 to December 31, 1916. It contains an early appearance of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. A hand-written copy of the poem can be found in her diary entry for October 30, nearly six weeks before its December 1915 publication in the magazine Punch. Accompanying the text are various items that were originally placed within the pages of the diary, including newspaper clippings, manuscript notes and letters, a photograph, pencil drawings, and 10 dried plant specimens.

Entirely digitized.
Women's War Register Committee Fonds
In 1916 the Women's Canadian Club of Montreal formed a committee to compile a register of unemployed English-speaking women in the city willing to work as replacements for enlisted men. This Women's War Register was modelled on similar groups in Great Britain and Toronto, and functioned until the end of the War. Its chairman was Ethel Hurlbatt, Warden of Royal Victoria College.

These holdings are not digitized.
Canadian Officers Training Corps, McGill Contingent Fonds
The Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, McGill Contingent was established in 1912 so that students could be trained as militia soldiers in anticipation of the international crisis that came to be World War I (1914-1918). By the time the contingent ceased operations, it had trained over 12,000 soldiers.

Some items digitized.
John McCrae’s handwritten copy of In Flanders Fields from the Andrew MacPhail Fonds
A copy of McCrae's famous poem written in his own hand and with a textual variant. Added to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO)’s Canada Memory of the World Register, part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. Available digitally.

World War II

McGill Remembers
This MUA website provides access to thousands of digitized archival records pertaining to the students, alumni, faculty, and staff of McGill University who contributed to the Second World War effort. The records are fully searchable by name in the Search the War Records section of the site.
Honour Roll (WWII)
Although McGill did not publish an Honour Roll for those lost in service during WWII as it did for WWI, in 2006 archivists and researchers developed an Honour Roll to commemorate the McGillians who died in service during WWII which is available on the McGill Remembers website.

Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs: college life in wartime, 1939-1942 by Elizabeth Hillman Waterston
Publication Date: 2012-03-27

Elizabeth Hillman enrolled at McGill University the week World War II began. As a freshman writing for the McGill Daily, she covered torchlight football parades and dances at the Ritz Carleton hotel while elsewhere the paper reported U-boats torpedoing convoys and war planes plummeting into the British channel. Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs draws on her journal entries, articles from the Daily, and headlines from the Montreal Gazette to paint a vivid picture of day-to-day life on campus, alongside the civilian wartime experience in Canada. Part memoir, part history, the book touches on important feminist issues of the day, provides historical detail on both McGill University and Canada's participation in World War II, and is punctuated with candid glimpses into both the social and intellectual aspects of university life during a three-year tenure at McGill. Charmingly written with subtle ironies, Blitzkrieg and Jitterbugs includes photos collected from scrapbooks, albums, and the McGill archives to vividly highlight aspects of wartime life as experienced far from the battlefields.

Expo 67

Expo 67 Collection
The collection consists of ephemera, artifacts, and publications related chiefly to the Expo 67 World Fair in Montreal and some documents relating to its continuation, Man and His World (Terre des Hommes), an exhibition that was the successor to Expo 67. Many of the records and artifacts were produced by participant countries and sponsors or by the Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition. Ephemera includes postcards, visitor passports, and ticket stubs, while other textual documents include guidebooks, magazines, catalogues, books, clippings, information manuals, and some unpublished planning documents. Artifacts include license plates, vinyl records, letter opener, bottle caps, shopping bags, and pins. The collection features pamphlets and brochures for numerous pavilions, events, services, and countries featured, as well as many maps for the Expo 67 grounds and documents related to subsequent seasons of Man and His World.
Dixon Expo 67 Slides Collection
Collection consists 472 slide photographs taken by Meredith Dixon at the Expo '67 World Fair in Montreal. Slides depict numerous pavilions and events, as well as the Expo 67 grounds and infrastructure.

Queer history of McGill

For recent scholarship, see Brian Lewis, "The Queering of McGill," in McGill In History, eds. Brian Lewis, Don Nerbas, and Melissa N. Shaw (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025). https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1517654546

LGBTQIA+ Activist at McGill University
Matrials used for the LGBTQIA2S+ McGill Student, Faculty, and Staff Activism Exhibition curated by Dr. Alex Ketchum and Jacob Williams in 2022. The exhibition was on display in the main lobby of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library from October to December 2022.

Archives of Sexuality and Gender (Gale Primary Sources)
LGBTQ history and culture since 1940. Archive containing historical records of political and social organizations founded by LGBTQ individuals, personal correspondence, interviews, publications, gay and lesbian newspapers from more than 35 countries.
To find relevant content, search for keywords like McGill.

Includes reports, policy statements, and other documents related to gay rights and health.Documents span from 1940 to 2014, with the bulk from 1950 to 1990.

University Observatory

DRAW Blog
DRAW (Data Rescue: Archival and Weather) is a research project focused on the transcription of historical weather logs captured at the McGill weather observatory since 1863 to allow the data to be used for scientific research.

The DRAW blog consists primarily of posts about weather on campus and links the social impact of weather conditions on McGill and Montreal.

RBSC materials on James McGill

Archives guide to institutional history : James McGill

This aim of this guide is to expand access to archival, primary source material directly related to James McGill.

Archival material created by or relating to James McGill is distributed across several collections held by the McGill Library and the McGill University Archives. This guide identifies and provides an overview of each of these collections, as well as information about how to access them. There is also a list of other institutions that hold archival material relating to McGill.

James McGill material at McGill University

James McGill Fonds (MSG 435) : this fonds contains documents that relate to McGill’s finances and business activities, including the execution of his will. There is a cashbook detailing trade in cotton, hemp, tea, rum, flour, pelts, and wood. There are also documents relating to land holdings in the present-day Eastern Townships region of Quebec and Detroit, Michigan, as well as correspondence between McGill and various business associates and members of his family. Material in the fonds dates from 1776 to 1975 (the most recent material being typed transcripts and recent reproductions of original documents).

Access: this fonds is catalogued at file-level and has been partially digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

James McGill Collection (MG 1007) : this collection contains documents relating to McGill’s personal life and business activities. There are notarial and legal documents relating to merchant firms in which McGill was involved, as well as a deed of sale and a power of attorney document granting Duncan Cameron the legal authority to act on McGill’s behalf. Additionally, there are almanacs containing notes about local (Quebec) crops and the weather, and two published works from McGill’s personal library. Material in the collection dates from 1797 to 1814.

Access: this collection is catalogued at file-level on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Business associates and related material at McGill University

The collections listed here relate to people and organisations who were directly connected to James McGill during his lifetime, including business associates and members of his social network, as well as business entities in which McGill was involved.

Joseph Frobisher Collection (MSG 433) : Joseph Frobisher was a founding partner of the North West Company and a founding member of the Beaver Club, a private social club based around involvement in the commercial fur trade, of which James McGill was also a member. This collection contains a diary filled with brief notes on Frobisher’s daily life, including social activities involving McGill, as well as correspondence relating to the execution of McGill’s will. Material in the collection dates from 1787 to 1834.

Access: this collection is catalogued at item level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Simon McTavish Papers (MSG 431) : Simon McTavish was another founding partner of the North West Company and also a member of the Beaver Club. This collection contains letters received by McTavish as well as documents relating to the execution of his will. Material in the collection dates from 1792 to 1806.

Access: this collection is catalogued at item level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

John McDonald of Garth Fonds (MSG 406) : John McDonald of Garth was another North West Company partner and member of the Beaver Club. This fonds contains letters sent and received by McDonald, some relating to the parliamentary committee established to investigate the potential settlement of the commercial fur trading territory known as Rupert’s Land, as well as letters from a later period regarding land holdings associated with McDonald, mostly in the Cornwall area of eastern Ontario. There are also contractual agreements, financial receipts and invoices, as well as autobiographical writings. Material in the fonds dates from 1791 to 1922.

Access: this collection is catalogued at file level and has been partially digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Thomas Blackwood Collection (MSG 430) : Thomas Blackwood was a close associate of James McGill, working with him in both the fur trade and in land settlement projects. This collection contains letters sent by Blackwood, to recipients including James and Andrew McGill and Company.

Access: this collection is catalogued at file level and has been partially digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Joseph Hadfield Fonds (MSG 1246) : Joseph Hadfield was a personal friend of James McGill. This fonds contains personal writings about his travels in North America, especially the Great Lakes region, recorded during a trip to collect debts relating to his family’s cotton trading business. Material in the fonds dates from 1785 to 1933 (the most recent material being a letter contemporary to its acquisition by the University).

Access: this fonds is catalogued at item level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Masson Collection (MSG 472) : The Masson Collection contains documents collected by Roderick Mackenzie, another North West Company partner and member of the Beaver Club. The majority of the documents were sent to Mackenzie by North West Company employees working beneath him, and includes journals detailing daily events at fur trading posts as well as expeditions to various parts of the Great Lakes and Mackenzie River regions. There are also letters sent to Mackenzie by employees and members of his family. Material in the collection dates from 1778 to 1837.

Access: this collection is catalogued on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue and has been partially digitized and transcribed. Please contact the Library for access to digitized material and transcriptions.

North West Company Collection (MSG 1247) : The North West Company Collection contains documents relating to the North West Company’s administration, including articles of agreement for partnership between individual fur trading firms and correspondence between partners, as well as a financial ledger containing a record of accounts and transactions. Much of the material in the collection dates from 1790 to 1826.

Access: this fonds is catalogued at file level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Montreal Fire Club Collection (MSG 437) : the Montreal Fire Club was a volunteer group established by merchants including James McGill, aimed at providing mutual protection of its members’ properties. This collection contains a minute book containing meeting minutes as well as statements of purpose. Material in the collection dates from 1786 to 1814.

Access: this fonds is catalogued at item level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Montreal Night Patrol Collection (MSG 338) : the Montreal night patrol was a local iteration of the European "Watchman system" of early policing, established by merchants including James McGill. This collection contains lists of expenses, minutes from sessions, accounts and receipts, and subscription lists. Material in the collection dates from 1801.

Access: this fonds is catalogued at item level and fully digitized. Digital access is available via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Other institutions holding James McGill material

Please note that this list may not be completely exhaustive, but will be updated periodically. Researchers are also encouraged to contact the Library for support in finding further primary sources.

RBSC materials on early major donors

Archives guide to institutional history : early donors

The aim of this guide is to expand access to primary source material directly relating to major donors to McGill University, as well as the institutional administration of donations, during its first 100 years. Please note that the information provided in this guide is not exhaustive. Researchers are encouraged to contact the Library for support in finding further primary sources.

Major McGill University donors are represented within several different archival repositories, including administrative records held by the McGill University Archives, as well as personal and corporate archives held at Rare Books and Special Collections and elsewhere.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Administrative records relating to donations

For information relating to the nature and extent of specific donations, researchers are advised to consult the University’s administrative records, including:

Administrative records of the Office of the Secretary-General and the Minutes of the Board of Governors (RG 4) : this record group contains extensive files relating to the administration of gifts, grants, bequests, scholarships, bursaries, and endowments. This includes correspondence with donors, as well as deeds and other documents. Also included are the minute books of the Board of Governors of McGill University, which contain information about gifts received amongst other topics.

Office of the Principal (RG2) : this record group contains files directly relating to the tenure of each Principal of McGill University, including the Principal’s correspondence with major donors and related administrative records such as memoranda and reports.

Access: this record group is described in A Guide to Archival Resources at McGill University (1985). Individual file titles can be found by searching the Record Group Database. Please contact the Library for additional support in searching the database. The collection of papers related to Arthur Currie’s tenure as principal is fully digitized and accessible via the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue. Note: the private papers of past principals may also contain material relating to major donations, as detailed below.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Personal and corporate archives relating to donors

The following list details primary source material relating to early major donors, held at both the McGill University Library and elsewhere. This list is not exhaustive and researchers are encouraged to contact the Library for support in finding additional material. Donors are arranged chronologically.

Molson family : various members, including Anne (1824 – 1899), John (1763 -1836), Thomas (1791 – 1863), William (1793 – 1875)

Molson family donations included endowment of a chair in English, funding for an arts building and extension to the medical building, contributions to the library book fund, the establishment of scholarships, and the purchasing of land on the University’s behalf.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Saint Lawrence Steamboat Co. Fonds (MSG 475) : this fonds contains business documents and correspondence relating to John Molson’s steamship business, dating from 1803 to 1863.

Access: this fonds is partially described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue. Digitization is in progress.

Letters from various members of the Molson family, to various members of the Harrington-Dawson family, including John William Dawson (Principal of McGill University, 1855–1893)

Access: housed in the Dawson-Harrington Families Fonds (MG 1022), fully described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

External repositories holding material:

Library and Archives Canada (including the Molson Fonds)
The McCord Museum (including the Molson Family Fonds)

William Edmond Logan (1798 - 1875)

William Logan endowed a chair in geology.

Holdings at McGill University include:

William Edmond Logan Fonds (MSG 914) : this fonds contains correspondence and reports related to mining, dating from 1837 to 1871.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

William Edmond Logan Fonds (MG 2046) : this fonds contains correspondence relating to scientific research, including the collection of geological specimens.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Letters from William Logan to various recipients, including John William Dawson principal, 1855–1893)

Access: housed in the Dawson-Harrington Families Fonds (MG 1022), fully described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

External repositories holding material:

Library and Archives Canada (including the Sir William Edmond Logan Collection)

Frederick Griffin (1798 - 1879)

Frederick Griffin acted as the University’s legal counsel and donated an extensive personal library and collected papers.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Frederick Griffin Fonds (MSG 224) : this fonds contains various documents and letters related to Griffin’s career in law, dating from 1827 to 1876.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

External repositories holding material:

Rare Books and Special Collections, University of British Columbia Library
Library and Archives Canada

Donald A. Smith, Lord Strathcona (1820 – 1914)

Donald Smith’s donations included endowment funds in medicine and education for women, funding of a pension program, and funding for the Royal Victoria Hospital. Smith was also University chancellor from 1889 - 1914.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Letters from Donald Smith to Margaret Mercer Dawson and John William Dawson (McGill University principal, 1855–1893)

Access: housed in the Dawson-Harrington Families Fonds (MG 1022), fully described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

39 published works, including transcriptions of speeches delivered and books from Smith’s personal library

Access: all works are catalogued on the McGill Library Catalogue, some digitized and accessible via the catalogue.

External repositories holding material:

Library and Archives Canada (including the Sir Donald Alexander Smith, Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal Fonds)
Canadian Pacific Archives
Hudson's Bay Company Archives

Redpath family : various members, including Peter (1821 – 1894), Amy (later Roddick, 1869 – 1954), Grace (née Wood, 1816 – 1907)

Redpath family donations included endowment of a chair in pure mathematics; funding for the construction and maintenance of the Redpath Museum of Natural History and the Redpath Library (now Redpath Hall), as well as construction of the Roddick Gates; the donation of many rare books now housed within the Rare Books and Special Collections unit of the Library, as well as endowments for the purchasing of additional rare books; and the endowment of several student bursaries.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Redpath Family Fonds (MSG 818) : this fonds contains correspondence and various documents created and received by various members of the Redpath family, dating from 1830 to 1990.

Access: description on the McGill Archival Collections is underway. Please contact the Library for more information.

Letters from various members of the Redpath family, to various members of the Harrington-Dawson family, including Margaret Mercer Dawson and John William Dawson (McGill University principal, 1855–1893)

Access: housed in the Dawson-Harrington Families Fonds (MG 1022), fully described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Roddick Family Fonds (MSG 659) : this fonds contains correspondence and diaries maintained by Amy Redpath Roddick.

Access: description on the McGill Archival Collections is underway. Please contact the Library for more information.

External repositories holding material:

McCord Museum (including the John Redpath Fonds)
Library and Archives Canada

William Osler (1849 - 1919)

William Osler donated an extensive personal library and collected papers to the University.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Sir William Osler Collection (P 100) : this collection contains varied material, including correspondence, legal and financial documents, notes, photographs, case notes, and annotated books, dating from 1800 to 1994.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue. An inventory list is also available via the archival catalogue.

Harvey Cushing Fonds (P417) : this fonds contains photographs and transcripts of letters used by Harvey Cushing while researching and writing his 1925 biography of William Osler.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Michael Bliss Fonds (P129) : this fonds contains material collected by Michael Bliss while researching and writing his biography of William Osler.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

W.W. Francis Fonds (P155) : generated by W.W. Francis during his time as Osler Librarian, this fonds contains correspondence related to the Osler Library and its holdings, with correspondents including several prominent “Oslerians” (health professionals who professed to follow in the tradition of William Osler) The fonds also contains a typescript of talks given by W.W. Francis about items held in the Osler Library.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Kelen Family Fonds (P193) : this fonds contains books and documents relating to William Osler and the Osler family, including letters, Deed of Trust documents regarding the Bibliotheca Osleriana (Osler’s personal library and nucleus of the Osler Library), and drafts of Osler's written works.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Robert Palmer Howard, 1912-1990, Fonds (P200) : this fonds contains correspondence between various members of the Osler family, family photographs, and handwritten notes made by William Osler on a variety of medical topics.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Wilder Penfield Fonds (P142) : this fonds contains research files created by Wilder Penfield while researching William Osler.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

External repositories holding material:

University of Iowa (including the William Osler Collection of Medical Materials)
University of Virginia (including the William White Collection of items relating to William Osler)
National Library of Medicine (US) (including Sir William Osler Press Clippings, 1905-1919)
Texas Medical Center Library (including the Sir William Osler sub-collection, part of the larger McGovern Collection on the History of Medicine)
Duke University (including the Sir William Osler Papers)
Rare Books and Special Collections, University of British Columbia Library

Note: numerous other repositories hold limited collections or items relating to William Osler; findable by searching ArchiveGrid for “William Osler.”

Casey Wood (1856 - 1942)

Casey Wood’s donations included a large collection of books, as well as the establishment of the Blacker Library of Zoology and endowment of the Emma Shearer Wood Library of Ornithology.. These two libraries were later amalgamated to form the Blacker-Wood Collection.

Holdings at McGill University include:

Casey Albert Wood Collection (MSG 1203) : this fonds contains varied material, including correspondence, research notes, scrapbooks, photographs, and falconry equipment.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Casey A. Wood Collection (P 145) : this collection contains drafts of published works on ophthalmology as well as material relating to his travels in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue. An inventory list is also available via the archival catalogue.

Casey Albert Wood Fonds (MSG 735) : this fonds contains letters about Wood’s coin collecting in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue.

Burton Chance Fonds (P 116) : this fonds contains correspondence between Wood and Burton Chance, also an ophthalmologist.

Access: this fonds is described on the McGill Archival Collections Catalogue. An inventory list is also available via the archival catalogue.

W.W. Francis fonds (P155) : generated by W.W. Francis during his time as Osler Librarian, this fonds includes correspondence between Francis and Wood concerning book collecting for McGill University, with incidental references to mutual acquaintances and current events.
Blacker Wood Naturalist Correspondence Collection : this collection contains manuscript correspondence sent and received by British, European, and North American naturalists during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. This includes hundreds of letters sent and received by Wood in the course of his ornithological and book collecting pursuits.