Mss 186, PC 178 ( A.04-15, A.04-116)

Title: David Turnbull fonds

Dates: 1904-1995, predominant 1928-1931

Extent: 40cm textual records, 2 photo albums (776 black and white photographs), 1 negative, 1 scrapbook

Biographical Sketch: David McIntosh Turnbull was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1906. He was the son of Janet (McIntosh) and William Turnbull, a graduate of the school of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in 1904. David attended the University of Manitoba from 1924 to 1928 where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. In his final year he was the senior stick for the Faculty of Arts and was awarded the Manitoba Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford. At Oxford he obtained a Bachelor and Masters of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, graduating in 1931.
Turnbull returned to Winnipeg, but soon relocated to Toronto, in 1932, where prospects were believed to be better. That year he joined Manufacturers Life, but two years later he was hired by the firm Woods, Gordon and Co. as a time-study man. Employed within the firm’s work measurement services department, Turnbull was primarily concerned with time and motion, marketing, supervisory training and organizational studies. In 1952, he opened the firm’s Montreal office where he was to remain in charge for the next twelve years. Upon his mandatory retirement as a partner in 1964, he moved to the Toronto office to assist the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine in its expansion project. He fully retired in 1972 to pursue his own interests until his death on December 26th, 1995.

Scope and Content: The fonds consists of three series and a photographic collection. The series includes correspondence, biographical and a scrapbook. The majority of the fonds consists of letters written by David Turnbull to his mother, which have been collected in the form of a journal. In addition, two photo albums consisting of 772 black and white photographs take up a large part of the collection. This fonds deals primarily with David Turnbull’s experience as a Rhodes Scholar from 1928 to 1931.

Custodial History: Ian Turnbull donated the two accessions, A.04-15 & A.04-116, were donated to the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections in 2004.

Source of Supplied Title: Title is based on the contents of the fonds.

Arrangement Note: The fonds’ order as received by the archives has been maintained with minor alterations.

Restrictions on Access: There are no restrictions

Accruals: No major accruals are expected.

Finding aid available