Oakwood Collegiate Institute - Oracle Yearbook (Toronto Ontario, Canada)

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THREE MEN AND OAKWOOD (and the trials of a novice reporter) When I first heard that Mr. Tovell, Dr. Hill and Mr. Hepburn were leaving Oakwood, I was completely incredulous. An unutterable question flashed through my mind. What would Oakwood be like without them? It would be inconceivable to imagine Oakwood without the presence of these three figures gracing its halls. Why they were sacred institutions at Oakwood! After I had re- covered from my initial shock and had finally con- vinced myself that Oakwood would survive this crisis, I was dealt another staggering blow. I was asked to interview these three men and write this article. You can imagine the state I was in. Where was I to start? How could I possibly weave a co- herent article about three such different person- alities? (I was on the verge of asking Dr. Hill for the loan of his Loom). Well, that was many har- rowing weeks ago. Now, after burrowing through many stacks of old Oracles, barraging several teachers with foolish questions, and holding con- ferences with the three men themselves, I have finally unearthed enough information about them to start. So here are the stories of three men who together have dedicated a century of service to Oakwood. Mr. Tovell, otherwise affectionately called Big Bill , was born in Mount Forest, Ontario, and spent his public and high school years in Walker- ton, Ontario. After attending Teachers ' College at Stratford, Mr. Tovell began his career as a teacher and principal, first of a school in Mildmay, and then of a school in Kincardine. From there he entered the Mathematics and P hysics course at the University of Toronto where he was quite consistent in receiving first class honours. On graduating, he was awarded the James Loudon Gold Medal in Physics for ranking first in his class. The rest of his story takes place in the set- ting of Oakwood ' s halls, for he has dedicated his services to Oakwood since his arrival in 1930. He recalls his most memorable years as those he spent teaching upper school maths and physics because they brought him into closer contact with the students at Oakwood. During those years he was staff treasurer of the B.A.A., supervised the Cadet Corps, and was staff sponsor of the Six-Year Club. In 1947, Mr. Tovell was promoted to the Vice-principalship and in the course of the following years he col- laborated in writing two textbooks — Modern Physics for Secondary Schools and Physics, A Senior Course . Then in 1958 he became Principal and began to devote his full energy to making Oakwood what it is today. In the organizing of a successful school, he recognized the necessity for discipline and the backing of an excellent staff and he set about to put his philosophy into prac- tice. He chose wisely for Oakwood, and built up one of Oakwood ' s finest teaching staffs. Under his encouragement and watchful eye, Oakwood has grown to the athletic and academic status that it has today. Oakwood owes him much gratitude for his dedicated service. We thank this man who doth bestride the halls of Oakwood like a Col- ossus and say farewell. The second of the three veterans of Oakwood is Mr. Hepburn. Born in Kelowna B.C., Mr. Hepburn spent his public school years there, and then com- pleted his upper school at Guelph Collegiate. He graduated from the School of Practical Science at Toronto with a B.A.Sc. degree in electrical en- gineering. After attending the Ontario College of Education, he began his teaching career at Wes- ton, Ontario. He taught mathematics and was also Principal of Milton High School before teaching at North Toronto C.I.. Mr. Hepburn came to Oak- wood in 1930 when a transfer of pupils from North Toronto made it necessary to send two teachers here. He liked it so well that he joined the Oakwood staff. Since then, with the exception of five years in the Signal Corps and R.C.E.M.E. in World War II, Mr. Hepburn has been impart- ing the fundamentals of geography to the stu- dents at Oakwood. He has served Oakwood in many ways such as leading the Model Airplane Club and in making his work in geography so outstanding, that he is known far and wide as a leader in his field. In conjunction with his continuous reading and research in all aspects of geography, Mr. Hepburn is actively interested in such fields as mineralogy, astronomy and meteorology. In all these interests and in his chosen profession as a teacher, Mr. Hepburn displays the characteristics of an en- thusiast and a perfectionist. Students who have known him as a teacher may recall his lively ex- planations of his subject and his insistence on perfection in all their endeavours. Oakwood thanks Mr. Hepburn for all his services rendered in his twenty-seven years here and will miss the smiling keeper of the rock quarry. Last, but certainly not least, is Skipper , bet- ter known at Oakwood as Dr. Hill. Born in Point Edward, Ontario, Dr. Hill received his pubhc school education there, and his secondary school education at Sarnia Collegiate. His high school years were interrupted when he enlisted in the British Navy in World War I and served for two years in the naval service. After leaving Sarnia he attended Victoria College and upon graduating, continued his studies at O.C.E. He first joined the Toronto staff at Riverdale Collegiate, but then re- signed to study at Harvard. At Harvard he was awarded an I.O.D.E. scholarship to study for two years in England. He attended the London School of Economics and received his doctorate in Po- litical Science. Doctor Hill joined the Oakwood staff in 1933 and began his career at Oakwood as teacher, historian and organizer. Few people are aware that Dr. Hill was a physical education in- structor and a coach of the rugby and swimming teams. He showed his talents as an organizer Cont ' d on Page 35

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MR. G. HEPBURN Environment and You Fit thyself into the environment that thou findest on earth, And love the men with whom thy lot is cast . (Marcus Aurehus) People who live in a rural community have an environment which is largely natural — fields, trees, hills and space, — where the stars shine at night. In the city the space is fiUed with buildings and streets — and with lights to turn night into day, — where the beauty of nature is often re- placed by ugliness. But in most countries the ur- ban growth is increasing, forming giant conurba- tions, while the proportion of rural population is decreasing. The famous architect Le Corbusier, considers the city the highest expression of civilization. In his design of Chandigarh, the city was made to conform to human needs — space, sun, nature and light. In 1960, the world had an estimated 3000 miUion people, and in the next 40 years, the number will rise to about 6000 miUion. More than half of these people live in Asia at a very low level of existence. When they become producers and consumers and gain freedom of movement, the competition and social pressures through the world will be not twice, but many times those at present. Prof. Jeffreys calls this age one of anxious confusion, with a mass culture which is manu- factured and synthetic . He says that there is now a polarization of mass media , which leaves little choice to the individual. Millions of people all read the same stories and see the same pictures, which is equivalent, in part at least, to mass pro- paganda. In brief, our environment has become very complex and unusable, and its future pattern is uncertain. Now what has aU this to do with you — a student at O.C.I. ? It means that the future world of your dreams, will not be the one you see around you now. It also means that the kind of training you receive today must be such, that you can ad- just yourself to the changing conditions. Both Aristotle and Plato considered education to be the best environment for the growth of young people. As a field cannot be fruitful wdth- out cultivation, neither can the mind without learning. (Cicero). The semi-educated person is an easy victim of social pressures. Learning with- out thought is useless, and thought vsdthout learn- ing is dangerous . (Confucius). No two people are alike, — yet all go through a similar educational training, and society expects them to conform to the same patterns of behaviour. Can you find a way to retain your freedom as an individual, in your thoughts at least, and at the same time play a useful part in your community and contribute to the betterment of humanity? This could be a happy compromise. It is a challenge, — the choice is yours. When you find the right course, foUow it with persistence, — for it was acedia that led Dante into darkness. S. H. Wood gives three tests for an educated man. 1. The pursuit of truth — can you entertain a new idea? But the environment is more than country and city — it is man himself with his complex social structure. It is here that the human drama is en- acted — government, education, manufacture and trade, communications, the arts, and recreation. It is also here that the greatest changes are taking place, — in cybernetics, new energy sources and space travel, which in a few years may make obsolete much of what we now see around us. Perhaps the population implosion presents the greatest problem of our changing environment. 8 2. The pursuit of goodness — can you entertain another person? 3. The pursuit of beauty — can you entertain yourself? A person so educated might indeed be unique, but he would certainly not be lost in the changing world of tomorrow. G. HEPBURN