McGill University - Old McGill Yearbook (Montreal Quebec, Canada)

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Photos by the Associated Screen Neivs. Limited

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The Development of McGill under Sir Arthur Currie McGILL University has lost a great leader who will be difficult to replace. Durins the years that Sir Arthur Currie guided the destinies of the university as Principal and lce-Chancellor, McGill made steady and gratifying progress towards the goal that had always been her objective — to exert an outstanding influence in the educa- tional life of this country. The advance was not particularly noticeable at the time, even to McGill men, but it was taking place; and it is easy now, after a period of fourteen years, to look back and see the strides that have been made. A comparison of the war-torn McGill of 1920 with the powerful and influential university of today reveals the facts that were not immediately recognized. Both in the physical realm of finances, buildings and equipment, and in the academic sphere of staff and curriculum, McGill under Sir Arthur rose to a high rank. But there is more than this to be remarked, for Sir Arthur made contributions to the university that cannot be measured in actual records of achievement. The influence of this great Canadian on the university, on its undergraduates and, on the many graduates with whom he came in contact, assisted McGill ' s progress in a way that is only now being measured after he is dead. Bui Sir Arthur ' s memory, and the stamp of his outstand- ing personality, will never d ie in the hearts of McGill men. In his quiet way, and in the course of his daily routine, the Principal was working and striving always in the interests of McGill, and alike through himself, and through the work he accomplished, did he serve to enhance McGill ' s reputation, and set her face forward in determined fashion on the road to progress and success. Sir Arthur ' s efforts, his valiant struggle against difficulties that sometimes looked insuper- able, and his magnificent loyalty and fairness, all come back to mind now, and they are a story that will remain indelibly written in the history of McGill ' s progress. Those who knew Sir Arthur best realize only too well the trials and tribulations which he went through, the long hours spent in his university and elsewhere on the affairs of the university, the mental stress and worry that eventually led, more than anything else, to his untimely death. These facts must be recalled at such a time as this in order that in their light the true value and extent of McGill ' s recent progress may be realized. When Sir Arthur Currie stepped into office in August, 1920, he faced a task of reorganiza- tion that was essential before any advances could be made. Threads that had been torn asunder during the hectic war years had to be rewoven into the university fabric; material that had worn bare in places had to be gradually replaced; and a new outlook and method of approach to meet changing conditions had to be carefully devised and introduced. The task was ons that might have frightened any man. and Sir Arthur hesitated before he accepted. But once his decision was made, he entered into his new duties with an energy and enthusiasm that was to remain undimmed during the passing of years. Although inexperienced in university and academic work, the new principal brought to his task outstanding qualities of mind and heart. He had an encirely open mind on university problems; he was willing to listen to all sides of a question or dispute, weigh the facts carefully, and then come to a decision that was always fair and nearly always right. Further, he was a born organizer and administrator, I I 1 1

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19 5 1 Im j I 1 9 5 4r prepared in this capacil ' to supply service that was greatly needed. Finally, he had an out- standing name, and, as it was to prove later, an outstanding personality that was to bring wide- spread lame and recognition to the university which he headed. The progress that McGill made in the thirteen years under his leadership can only now be measured from the point of view of actual accomplishments, as in the wider field of reputation, prestige and national and international influence in education, the results cannot be estimated until the passage of years gives a clear perspective. A comparison of McGill just before and just after the war with the university as it stands today will serve to show the changes in staff, in curriculum and standards, in students, in buildings and equipment, in finances, and in general activity, that have taken place under Sir Arthur. In noting the growth and development in the student body, it is fair to make the com- parison between the year 1913-14 and last year, as conditions after the war, with the great influx of soldier-students after a period in which the university was almost deserted, offered particular problems that were not met with at any other time. Just before the war there were 1,478 undergraduates as against 2,600 in 1933; with 396 students in Arts as compared with 1,172 last year; in Engineering, 583 as compared with 398, the drop here being largely because of over-crowding of the profession rather than any deterioration in McGill ' s standards; in Law there were 76 as compared to 89; in Medicine 383 to 481 ; in Dentistry 34 to 40. But in graduate studies, and of this r eorganization Sir Arthur was always most proud, there were 115 students, about half of them non-residents working by correspondence, in 1913-14, while last year there were 288 men and women attracted from all over this and other countries by McGill ' s reputation as an outstanding centre for higher learning. Meantime, along with the growth in the student body, it had been possible continually to raise standards. Years of pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-engineering and pre-law work were introduced; and standards in all courses and years stiffened and adjusted. In two of the larger faculties it was decided that only a limited number of first-year students would be taken in, and this made it possible to select only the best qualified men. Steadily and progressively, the curriculum has been improved all along the line. Many new departments and studies were introduced, and many old ones given new life under the Currie regime. Under him came Dr. J. B. CoUip and his assistants to make McGill known the world over for its work in ho rmone research and general biochemistry; under Tait and Babkin notable strides have been made in physiology; then there has been Dr. Wilder G. Penfield, opening up a huge new field for advance in neurology; less spectacular, but of out- standing merit, has been the work in bacteriology; while in physics and chemistry the university has more than sustained a reputation long held. These recall but a few of the developments of recent years. In other spheres of university life, there was the organization of the Department of Chinese Studies and establishment of the Gest Chinese Research Library at McGill, the introduction of the McGill Library School, the opening up of such departments as social science research and public health and preventative medicine, and a broad expansion of extra-mural work. McGill was not only advancing herself, but offering a helping hand to the wide community which she served. The strength of a university must be measured to a great extent by the calibre of the men on its staff, and this was a fact that Sir Arthur held ever in mind. A list of a few of the leading professors brought to McGill during his principalship shows clearly how he helped in this regard to increase McGill ' s prestige: Dr. C. P. Howard, Dr. J. C. Meakins, Dean P. E. Corbett, Dean {conlimied on page 371) 11