Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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Brattleboro, Vermont, sends these very interesting notes of the first days of Old Loyola, needlessly apologising for the abrupt style which all busy physi- cians are forced to adopt. D R. WILLIAM J. KAINE, M.D., of “How many Review readers will re- member Loyola’s first fire, which occurred in this Bleury street building? Brother Brown came puffing up the stairs (he weighed 250 pounds) to rout us out. And when roll was called, one—Victor Yawman —was found fully dressed,—even his stick-pin was in his tie! “Shortly after this came our removal to 68 Drummond. Every one appreciated the change. Our long recreation periods were spent in a large field on St. Catherine street between Scott’s Confectionery Store and Dionne’s Grocery,—the space now oc- cupied by Hamilton’s. “At Drummond Street, hockey and foot- ball teams began to take definite form. The old Victoria Rink (which, it was an- nounced each succeeding year, was to be torn down at once) was near at hand, and was constantly requisitioned for skating and hockey ; while on Tuesdays and Thurs- days the old Crystal Rink was regularly patronized.—For baseball and football and lacrosse we journed to Mascotte Park or to the Montreal Baseball Park.—At the outset we had as opponents in hockey, St. Mary’s College and in football, Montreal High School. “Between seasons,.we exercised at the old M.A.A.A. gymnasium on Mansfield Street, and some of us took lessons from Boxing-Master Beniett. “Bicycle events in those days were very popular, and for a month or six weeks our cyclists trained regularly on the banked track at Queen’s Park in Verdun.—In foot- ball we soon became more ambitious and played games against the Junior Brit- tannias and Shamrocks. “Bven at that early date we were hear- ing rumors about the wonderful College soon to be built in West Montreal; each year the rumor became more insistent, and some even hinted that the plans were drawn up. “About this time, our hockey team had become so fermidable that it was difficult to book matches. So our Recreation Mas- ter, Father O’Gara, obtained permission for a committee of three to attend a meet- ing of the Junior City League. We were admitted to that body, and hockey took a great leap in advance; fro m all reports it is still booming. “But shades of those days! Our matches had all to be played between eight and nine at night, and permission could never be had for over-time play in the event of a tie. It was very difficult for one man to ‘get permission to referee the next game, from nine to ten. “As for a Smoker! we used the boiler- room at great risk to our weekly marks,— or the rear of the wide posts in Victoria Rink. But the present generation would not understand why we were forced to such strange methods. “And yet our College days were just as keenly happy, our struggles just as hard- fought, and the age-old principles were driven home to us just as unerringly in those days of little as in these days of much. And to-day, as we look back, too much credit cannot be given to the far- sighted pioneers who cecided to found Loyola with one or two classes, and allow it to grow by its own innate vitality, and demonstrate by its growth the great need there had been of such an institution. May Loyola ever prosper ! WILLIAM J. KAINE, B.A., ’04, Loyola. 18 ee Soe tv 95a) aaa) J y ‘ ON THE TENNIS COURTS

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“Produce More,” said Father Hingston Labor Should Wait for Shorter Hours until Living Costs are Reduced. ASKED GOVERNMENT AID Main Solution for Present Unemployment is General Plan for Building of Houses. EV. W. H. HINGSTON, S. J., con- tinued his campaign for Government assistance to house building in the gen- eral scheme of combating the present unem- ployment situation on Oct. 5, 1921, when he gave the opening lecture for the Loyola School of Sociology and Social Science at the Bourget Academy, 280 Mountain street. In his lecture, Father Hingston dealt at large with the general question of economics, particularly with regard to labor questions, arguing that this was a time when the essen- tial factor was production, not a fight for shorter hours and less work for higher wages. Father Hingston continued his argument as given at previous meetings, that the main solution for the present condition of un- employment was a general plan for the build- ing of houses, so as to give employment to the greatest number, and at the same time aid in solving the present shortage of build- ings. EXORBITANT DEMANDS At present workers were demanding the exorbitant war wages, while they were war weary, and would not do much work, and they had acquired wartime habits of extrava- gance. The result was they demanded short- er hours, worked less during those hours, and wanted wages to keep up habits of free ex- penditure, with the result that the Dominion today was economically worse off than be- fore the war. The only possible remedy for this situation, Father Hingston argued, was more production and better results from labor for a given wage. This might end the vicious circle in which labor was blaming capital for profiteering, and capital was blaming labor for not producing. The only way to decrease the cost of living, he thought, was by greater production. “At such a time as the present,”’ said Father Hingston, “it seems to me that the Dominion Government should assist both capital and labor out of this vicious circle, because it has incurred an obligation by this great increase of circulation to which there is no actual corresponding value.” Father Hingston also. argued that a com- prehensive plan for the building of houses would do much to reduce the unemployment situation, give work which would prove re- munerative all around, and at thesame tire help to relieve the house scarcity. Further, he thought labor should postpone its demands for shorter hours while work was so precarious and living costs so high. ‘I think the worker should have a shorter day,” concluded Father Hingston, ‘‘but he should wait for his demands until the cost of living comes down.” 1921 The Loyola School of Sociology and Social Service HE Loyola School of Sociology and Social Service brought its fourth year of existence toa close this Spring with a distribution of Diplomas to its successful Graduates, who had finished their two years’ course of study and satisfied the Examin- ers in the eight subjects required before the University of Montreal is asked to set the seal of approval upon the Course. Five Students won the coveted distinction of a Diploma and seven first year Students were presented with a certificate to mark the fact that they had successfully completed the first of the two years necessary to graduate as a Social Worker with a rec- ognised University Diploma. 17 A large gathering of the Students’ friends and others interested in the School came to witness the reception of the diplomas, which were presented by the Reverend Father Hingston, S. J., Rector of Loyola College, and Dean of the School. A. short resume of the work accomplished during the past year was given by the Rector in his opening address. The students, who registered for the courses numbered 33, of whom 19 took the full course, the remainder taking special subjects. The total number of attendances was 1064, the number of lectures 122, and the average attendance at each 15. In the final exams five Students qualified to receive “Honours”, having obtained over 75% of possible marks. All these points showed a decided growth over the preceding years, and give a fair promise for the’ future. Dr. W. H. Atherton, Ph.D., also spoke as the representative of the Professors of the School. He brought out, in an able speech, the principal points for which the School is already: notable, namely, its proved success in training Social Workers, its cordial co- operation with other charitable agencies, its fine record of former Students already en- gaged in social work of great importance, its high standard of scholarship and its fine list of Professors, who are each and all eminent in the branch of study upon which they lecture. In his concluding address, after the distribution of Diplomas and certificates had taken place, the Dean again emphasized the continual evolution of the School and also indicated the lines upon which it was intended to develop it in the coming year. New courses in Child Welfare, Hospital Social Service, and Psychiatry, each under well- known Doctors who had made a life study of their respective subjects, were to be started. Opportunities were to be offered to former Graduates and others to specialize along certain lines. The aim of the School is not only, or even chiefly, to enable its Students to attain a high level of Scholarship, though this is incidentally achieved, but to turn out Graduates imbued with high Catholic ideals of service. The breadth of this course can be seen from its curriculum, the subjects of which are taught by Professors of high standing and wide experience, but the vivifying spirit of the School can only be realized by those who have faithfully attended its Lectures. That this spirit is a verv real and actual thing is attested by the affecticn felt by the Stu- dents for their Alma Mater, and by the fact that the Graduates return again and again and register for extra courses after they have won their Diplomas. The school has won very favourable notice from the press and public during the last year on many occasions; it is undoubtedly now taking its place as a very live force in the community. One branch of its work, name- ly the preparation of statistical charts, ob- tained the whole-hearted of the Lieutenant-Governor on his recent visit to the City to open the Child Welfare Exhibition. One particular chart, amongst several prepared by the Students of the School, attracted His Excellency’s attention, and he particularly asked what he might This chart showed in striking manner the mor- tality statistics among infants for the town of Montreal. commendation have a copy of it for his own use. {Hinds or ON DOMINION SQUARE MONTREAL

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In response to a request from the yearbook staff, for information concerning Loyola 50 years ago, Rev. Henry Smeaton was kind enough to send this letter: Mr. Jim MacDonald Dear Jim, I did not know Old Loyola on Drummond Street, except for an occasional visit to see Bill McGee or the three McGarr’s or the Lyon’s brothers, who had all done their primary school with me at Notre Dame College where Brother Andre was still Porter and St. Joseph’s Oratory was only a little tin and wood construction on the mountain side. I took my matriculation exams at McGill in 1916 from Catholic High. That was the year the New Loyola opened, the Loyola you know at almost the western end of Sherbrooke Street. I came in 1916. The grounds were just about the same size as now, but there were only three buildings. Two were complete — the present High School, without the recent addition, and the Refectory Building. The Administration Building on Sherbrooke Street was two stories high with end wings of one storey. And in the whole place there were two hundred and twenty five students. It was during World War II that it reached four hundred and a holiday was given for its startling growth. I don’t want to ramble too much, Jim, but Montreal itself was a completely different sort of place. When I first went to school, we lived at No. 17 Northmount Avenue in the Village of Northmount. Its boundaries were the Cemetery Fence, Decelles Avenue, Maplewood Avenue, Bellingham Road. All that is now the University of Montreal. In the winter we bob-sledded, tobogganed and skied over the trails on the mountain side. None of the streets were paved, but there wasn’t much traffic. The sidewalks were fine springy wood. In fact the first extended motor drive I had was on a rather splintery wooden road, the King Edward Highway heading south towards New York State. Cote des Neiges Village, the west side of Decelles was almost completely French speaking. My sister, my brother (both living) and I learned French by osmosis as did anybody else who didn’t actively oppose it. After that, French in school was an introduction to a new literature and the marvelous precision of French Grammar. Education was different. As far as I can judge, looking back a good number of the kids I knew in the Cote des Neiges just quit after grade school. But remember 1916 was the very heart of World War I. The war factories were clamouring for willing workers. My own first summer job was time keeper at Peter Lyall’s munition plant about where the tennis courts are near the Q.E. Hospital and the youngsters who left school then became the skilled machinists and mechanics of the twenties. But back to Loyola. In my four years there, I had only one lay teacher, a Mr. Savoie, who taught French and Mathematics. There were two other laymen in Prep classes (pre High School). All the rest of the teachers were Jesuits. I remember some years ago ata dinner at Dr. Roland Viger’s home that Dr. Neil Feeney said that three of those Jesuits were among the best teachers he had had in his life. And remember Neil knew some of the greatest in the world at McGill, Johns Hopkins and the Leahy Institute. These were Father D. Lema, Joseph. Keating and Edward de la Peza. I’d agree with him but would add that I was fortunate enough to have superb teaching also at Notre Dame and at Catholic High. There were some bright boys around. Probably the one that has most effectively proved himself to be an intellectual star of the first magnitude was and is Bernard Lonergan. At the last count, apart from his earned degrees, he has, I think, some thirteen honorary ones. And his published works, though like St. Paul’s somewhat difficult to understand, are indeed rated of monumental importance. Bernie wasn’t here many weeks before his peers had nicknamed him “Brains” Lonergan. He did his High School in two years, being regularly promoted at Christmas time to a higher class to keep him interested. The amazing thing about Lonergan to me was that as the years rolled on he became a harder and harder worker. I saw him do it and his books and long teaching career prove it. I’m glad, Jim, you asked me to say a word or two about Father Lonergan’s youthful years at Loyola, because this year is his Jubilee Year (fifty years) in the Order. I attended the celebration at Regis College in Toronto last September. One of his younger brothers, Father Greg. Lonergan, S.J. preached the sermon at the Jubilee Mass. It was an amazing performance. I have never before seen a very sophisticated congregation or audience so swept along in enthusiastic applause. It was not only a great tribute to Bernie, but a clear proof that genius in the Lonergan clan is not confined to Bernie alone. The three Lonergan Brothers, Bernie, Greg and Mark, from Buckingham, Quebec, were all at Loyola and Mark’s children kept up the fine tradition. The curriculum was the typical classical college course. There were no options. You took Latin, Greek, French, English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics. I know that the Science men of today would, with good reason, smile at the Science courses prescribed then. But it is interesting to note that the oldest living graduate of Loyola, Leo Lynch, is an Engineer. And, looking back now as he did when Father Breslin and I went to visit him, he seemed to have been well-prepared for his professional career. Essentially, it was an eight-year course, and when you came to Loyola you were in College, whether you were in Rudiments or in Philosophy. The High School division as a more or less separate entity came I believe in the early twenties. But at least up until that time, if you were a sufficiently good baseball player, you played on the College team. And so with hockey, football, running, swimming, tennis. Certainly Gerald (Irish) Lonergan from Quebec City, no kin of the ones from Buckingham, was playing Senior Amateur Hockey with the best in Montreal and with the fabulous Sons of Ireland of Quebec City before he reached what we could call College years today. Incidentally, those of us that saw him play in those days consider him the greatest hockey player that ever played for Loyola. One who played with him told me that it was only when Bobby Orr came along that he saw again in perfection the moves that “Irish” Lonergan made fifty and more years ago. To show the class of hockey that Loyola was playing at that time (1916-17) they were invited to ice a team in the City League. This was the Senior Amateur League in Montreal. They played ten games, won seven, lost two and drew one, for a total of 15 points. They beat Shamrocks twice, McGill once; the 224th Battalion twice; Laval twice; National once. They won the Desey Cup and the Dandurand Cup. In a play-off with the Stars of the Montreal League, Loyola won in overtime 5 — 4. In Exhibition Games, Loyola lost to the New York Americans in New York; won from Dartmouth College; lost to Sons of Ireland of Quebec City for the Art Ross Cup. Harry Hyland, professional player with the Wanderers, was the Loyola Coach. Harry died within the last two years. I had the honour of giving the sermon at his funeral Mass. He was a life-long friend of Loyola.