Chemistry faculty memorial

Honorary Lecturer, BSA (Alberta), MSc (Alberta), PhD (Leeds), FRSC, FCIC. FAIC, DSc (Saskatchewan), DSc (Manitoba)

John Ansel Anderson, a world-renowned cereal chemist, was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Manitoba in 1978. Anderson was the chief chemist for the board of grain commissioners and director of the Grain Research Laboratory in Winnipeg from 1939 until 1962 who was responsible for the quality control of all commercially-grown Canadian grain.

Anderson was appointed director of the Canada Department of Agriculture Research Station in 1962 and then became the director-general of the Canada Department of Agriculture Research Branch in Ottawa.  Anderson retired from public service in 1968  but then pursued an academic position as a research professor position at the university in the Department of Plant Science.

During Anderson’s scientific career, he published over 100 scientific papers on the biochemistry of proteins in wheat and barley and was a major contributor to the development of the Canadian wheat grading system.

Anderson was the first Canadian to receive the highly prestigious Osborne Medal of the American Association of Cereal Chemists.

References:

• 1964 University of Saskatchewan Honorary Degree Citation
• 1978 University of Manitoba Honorary Degree Citation

Professor, Department Head (1937-1944), Dean of Arts and Science (1939-1944), Acting President (1944-1945)BSc (Leeds), PhD (Strasbourg), LL.D (Manitoba), LL.D (Saskatchewan)

Henry P. Armes came to the University of Manitoba in 1909 as a demonstrator in chemistry. He rose in ranks to head of the Chemistry department (1937), dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science (1939), acting president of the University (1944-1945) and dean of the university (1945-1949).

During Professor Armes’ time associated with the university, he also served overseas in World War I and incurred a leg injury which eventually led to its amputation. He was awarded honorary degrees from the University of Manitoba in 1947 and the University of Saskatchewan in 1949. Professor Armes retired from the university in 1949.

References:

• Memorable Manitobans
• Winnipeg Free Press Article from February 23, 1950
• Canadian Great War Project
• Who’s who in Western Canada: a Biographical dictionary of notable living men and women in Western Canada
• University of Manitoba Past Presidents
• University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections Building Histories
• University of Saskatchewan Honorary Degrees

Professor, Department Head (1966-1975), BSc Honours (Alberta), MSc (Alberta), PhD (McGill), PDF (Leeds), FCIC

Betts began his scientific career at Atomic Energy of Canada in Chalk River, Ontario and went on to become head of the department of chemistry at the University of Manitoba in 1966 and a member of the board of governors before his retirement in 1980.

Betts donated generously to the University of Manitoba, endowing the RH Betts Lectureship in Chemistry, the RH Betts Scholarship for graduate students and the RH Betts undergraduate bursary in science.

Reference

• Obituary

Associate Professor, BSc (St.Louis), PhD (Wisconsin – Supervisor: Paul Bender)

Wendell Joseph Biermann started at the University of Manitoba in 1950 and was responsible for teaching second and third-year chemistry as well as graduate-level thermodynamics.

Reference

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 2 – 1960

Professor, Senior scholar, Dean Emeritus (1990), Dip Chem Eng (Royal Military College), BASc (Toronto), MSc (McMaster), PhD (McMaster), PDF (Carlsberg Laboratory) & (Sloane-Kettering Cancer Institute)

Charles C. Bigelow came to the University of Manitoba after having held consecutive academic positions at the University of Alberta, University of Western Ontario, Memorial University and St. Mary’s University. 

He was a professor in the area of biochemistry and the dean of science at the University of Manitoba from 1979 until 1989. During his time at the University of Manitoba, he was also president of the Manitoba new democratic party from 1982 until 1984.

Charles C. Bigelow was born to parents Tupper S. and Helen Cross Bigelow on April 25, 1928.

Bigelow joined the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario and later graduated with a diploma in chemical engineering in 1952 and subsequently earned a B.A.Sc. in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto in 1953. By 1955 he earned his M.Sc. and in 1957, a Ph.D. both in physical chemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

After his graduation, his research career took him abroad, where he worked in protein chemistry at various research intensive institutions, including Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen and The Sloane-Kettering Institute in New York City.

He then began a long and impressive career as a teacher, researcher, and administrator, beginning at the University of Alberta, followed by a move to London, Ontario for a professorship in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario. By 1974, he accepted a position as Head of Biochemistry at Memorial University in St. John’s Newfoundland. He left Memorial University in 1977 and spent 2 years as the Dean of Science at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, NS before he moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1979.

Another distinguished administrator, Bigelow was appointed as the second Dean of Science in 1979 and held the position until 1989, whilst maintaining active research and teaching in the Department of Chemistry. He was then named senior scholar and Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Science following his time as Dean of the Faculty of Science.

In 1998, Dr. Bigelow received the first Donald C. Savage Award for outstanding achievements in promoting collective bargaining and economic benefits in Canadian Universities.

“Dr. Bigelow provided decades of service to the principles of fairness, openness and collegiality in Canadian academe and to collective bargaining as the means to protect and to promote those values” – James Turk, Executive Director of Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)

References

• CAUT Article
• Memorable Manitobans
• Obituary

Professor, BSc (Manitoba), PhD (Manitoba, Supervisor: Alan Campbell)

Ernst Bock was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 1929.  He immigrated to Canada in 1948 and graduated from the University of Manitoba with a BSc and PhD.  He joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manitoba in 1958 initially as a lecturer.

He was promoted to professor in 1972 and held that position until his death in 1994. He published approximately 90 scientific papers, mainly in the area of dipole moments, magnetic resonance and liquid crystals.

An award was established in the names of Ernst and Ingrid Bock to support exceptional graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

References

• Ernst and Ingrid Bock Graduate Award

Assistant Professor, BSc Honours (Saskatchewan), MSc (Leeds), PhD (Leeds)

Charles Eugene Burchill taught chemistry at the University of Manitoba for 31 years, retiring in 1997.

References

• Obituary

Department Head (1945-1966), Professor Emeritus (1969), BSc (London), MSc (London), PhD (London), DSc (Aberdeen), FCIC, FRSC, DSc (Manitoba)

Alan Campbell was born in Halifax, England in 1899 and completed his BSc, MSc and PhD degrees from the University of London and a DSc from Aberdeen University. Alan Campbell came to the University of Manitoba as an assistant professor after staying five years in an academic position at Aberdeen University in the fall of 1930. Although Campbell retired from the department in 1969, he remained research-active at the University of Manitoba until his death in 1987.

During his time at the University of Manitoba, he conducted research in the field of electrochemistry and phase rule had over 230 publications and supervised more than 160 graduate students.

Under Campbell’s tenure as department head, he contributed to the implementation of a PhD program in the department as well as the erection of the Parker Chemistry Building.

Campbell’s research and teaching accomplishments were recognized by election to the Royal Society of Canada, Honorary Fellowship to the Chemical Institute of Canada and by the Chemical Education Award from the Chemical Institute of Canada.

In honour of Campbell, the A.N. Campbell Scholarship Fund was established in 1979 to support high-standing students entering third or fourth-year honours chemistry.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – 1960 Vol 1 No 2
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – 1960 Vol 1 No 2
• Chemagram (Chemistry Newsletter) – 1987 Vol 2 No 4
• Chemagram (Chemistry Newsletter) – 1989 Vol 3 No 1
• 1981 University of Manitoba Honorary Degree Citation
• Canadian Encyclopedia
• Canadian Chemical News. 1988, 40 (3), 25.
• Chemistry in Canada.  May 1971, 20
• Schaefer, T. P.  Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada. 1988, 3 (5), 139

Professor, BA (Queen’s), MA (Queen’s), D.Phil (Oxford, Supervisor: Sir Robert Robinson), PDF (Edinburgh), FCIC

E. Harold Charlesworth enrolled in Queen’s University six years after graduating from high school. During those 6 years, Harold obtained teacher training and then taught school for 5 years, in rural Ontario, along with getting married and becoming a father. Eventually, he saved enough to enroll in 1928, at Queen’s University in 1930 he received his BA (Honours), that year’s medal in chemistry, and an arts research fellowship that made it financially possible for Harold to continue his studies at Queen’s.

In 1931, he received his MA and another prestigious award, the 3-year 1851 Science Research Scholarship, which made it possible for Harold to attend Oxford University and study under the future Nobel Prize laureate, Sir Robert Robinson. Harold earned his doctorate of philosophy by the end of 1933 and spent a further year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh before returning to Queen’s as a lecturer in chemistry.

He accepted a position at the University of Manitoba in 1937 starting as a lecturer, teaching introductory chemistry classes to home economics students. He spent the next 33 years on faculty. For many of those years, Harold taught all the organic chemistry in the department. His research was in classic structural and synthetic organic chemistry, specializing in lactones, phthalides and hydrocarbons. He retired from the University of Manitoba in 1971 and passed away in 1978.

Family lore would have it that Harold retired in 1970, but was convinced by the department of science to return for one more year as acting head of the department in chemistry during a period of transition and upheaval. His retirement party occurred on August 25, 1970, presided over by then-president (and former colleague) Hugh Saunderson, who also retired on the same day.

References

• J. David Charlesworth MD (Manitoba)(grandson, personal communication)
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 2 – 1960
• Chemistry in Canada 1979, 31 (3), 37
• Chemistry Communiqué Vol. 4  Ed. 1. 

Assistant Professor, Manitoba Agricultural College (1912-1916), BSc (Edinburgh)

Professor Robert Cunningham was an assistant professor in the Manitoba Agricultural College from 1912-16.  Following his short appointment with the Manitoba Agricultural College, Professor Cunningham went overseas with the 196th Battalion.

References

• Frontier School Division Social Studies/Native Studies Department
• Memorable Manitobans

Professor, Department Head (1975-1980), BSc (Acadia), MSc (Toronto – Supervisor: Wright), PhD (Iowa State – Supervisor: H. Gilman), PDF (Harvard – Supervisor: PD Bartlett)

Gerald Emery Dunn had humble beginnings in a small village in Nova Scotia however following the completion of his undergraduate degree at Acadia University, his educational and career track was far from humble.  He completed a MSc under Wright at the University of Toronto and then moved to Iowa State University to complete a PhD under the supervision of the famous “father of organometallic chemistry”, Henry Gilman. Dunn then held a one-year post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University in Paul Bartlett’s research group.

Dunn moved to the University of Manitoba in 1952 with the initial duties of teaching undergraduate and graduate students and conducting physical organic chemistry research. He retired in 1985 and served as department head from 1975-1980.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 1 – 1960
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 1 – 1960
• Obituary

Professor, Dean of Graduate Studies, BSc (Dalhousie), MSc (Dalhousie), PhD (McGill, Supervisor: Otto Maass)

Lionel Funt was born and raised in the Maritimes and completed his BSc and MSc at Dalhousie University in 1944 and 1946, respectively.  He was a lecturer at Dalhousie University from 1946-1947.  He completed a PhD under the supervision of Otto Maass at McGill University studying dielectric properties of polymers and flow systems.  Directly following his PhD studies, he was hired as an assistant professor by the University of Manitoba in 1949.  His research focus was on radioactive carbon counting techniques and studying polymerization mechanisms.

Funt was appointed the dean of graduate studies at the University of Manitoba from 1964 until 1967.  In 1968, Funt moved his family to Vancouver so that he could serve as dean of science at Simon Fraser University.  He remained at Simon Fraser University until his retirement in 1989.  Funt passed away in Vancouver in 2013.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 3 – 1960 
• Obituary
• Chemistry in Canada, 1950, 2(4), 12

Associate Professor, Manitoba Agricultural College (1915-1918), Head of Chemistry Manitoba Agricultural College

When Professor AJ Galbraith was working at the Ontario Agricultural College, he was the first to map soil in Ontario. He moved from Guelph to Winnipeg in 1915 to start an Associate Professor position at the Manitoba Agricultural College chemistry department. Once here, he introduced soil surveying and started surveying Southern Manitoba in 1917. He was appointed head of the Manitoba Agricultural College Chemistry Department. His research interest was in the chemistry applied to soils.

Professor Galbraith died in 1918 from influenza complications.

Reference

• History and Development of the Soils Department in the Faculty of Agriculture at M.A.C. and the University of Manitoba
• History of Soil Survey in Canada 1914-1975

Professor Emeritus (1997), BSc Honours (Loyola), PhD (McGill – Supervisor: Winkler), PDF (Rochester)

Hymie Gesser was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec.  He completed a BSc honours from Loyola College (University of Montreal) and then a PhD from McGill University under the supervision of Carl Winkler on active nitrogen in 1952.  Following his PhD he was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Rochester (working on the photochemistry of ammonia) and at the National Research Council in Ottawa under Steacie on the photochemistry of ketenes.  In 1955 Gesser relocated to the University of Manitoba where he taught inorganic chemistry and conducted research in gas chromatography and free radical reactions. He had a long career at the University of Manitoba and published hundreds of papers, wrote several books and filed several patents. Gesser gained Professor Emeritus status in 1997.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 1 – 1959
• Obituary
• Memorable Manitobans

Professor, Dean of St.Paul's College (1970-1974), BA (Regina), BEd (Saskatchewan), MSc (Manitoba), PhD (Manitoba)

Adam Giesinger was a well-respected and admired St. Paul’s College Chemistry professor (1942-1976) teaching mainly general chemistry and organic chemistry.  In 1931 St.  Paul’s College became an affiliate college to the University of Manitoba which was when Giesinger was charged with coordinating the general chemistry laboratory program. He was later delegated responsibility for the organic chemistry laboratory program and running chemstudy teacher training in summer school.

References

• NDSU Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
• NDSU – Interview with Adam Giesinger
• Obituary

Associate Professor, BA (Manitoba), MA (Toronto), MSc (McGill), PhD (McGill), Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), Order of Canada  (1976), Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt (1987),  D. Lit. (Brandon) 1974, D.Lit. (Manitoba) 1974, FCIC

Paul Hiebert was born in Pilot Mound, Manitoba in 1892.  He completed a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Manitoba in 1916 and a Master of Arts in Gothic and Teutonic philosophy in 1917 from the University of Toronto.  Following his education, he became a teacher in Saskatchewan and then was principal at two rural Manitoba high schools.  He furthered his education by completing a Master of Science in physics and chemistry in 1922 and a PhD in 1924, both from McGill University.

Hiebert came to the University of Manitoba in 1924 and retired in 1953, moving to Carman, Manitoba where he focused on his writing.  His house on 118 Third Street SW in Carman has been designated a Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site.

• Obituary
• Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
• University of Manitoba Archives
• University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections
• Memorable Manitobans
• Heritage German
• Schreiber, H. P. Chemistry in Canada.  1949, 1(9), 19.

Professor, AB (Dartmouth College), MSc (Toronto), PhD (Toronto), PDF (Wisconsin), PDF (Queen’s – Supervisor: Walter Szarek)

Philip Hultin was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1961 but was raised in Kitchener-Waterloo. Hultin crossed the border again to pursue a bachelor degree from Dartmouth College, completing in 1983.  He then came back to Canada to complete a MSc and PhD from the University of Toronto in 1985 and 1988, respectively. Between 1988 and 1993 Hultin was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin and Queen’s University.

Hultin started an assistant professor position at the University of Manitoba in 1993 and became a full professor in 2006.  Until Hultin’s untimely death in 2018, he was actively researching organic chemistry, teaching and involved with the university community such as serving on the university senate.

Hultin was a gifted teacher, earning the respect of many students as well as winning many teaching awards.

In memory of Hultin, the Science Students’ Association designated Parker 106 as the Philip G. Hultin Memorial Study Room.

The Phil Hultin Teaching Excellence Fund was established to support one or more Faculty of Science students to assist a faculty member in developing any aspect of science pedagogy and curriculum development including but not limited to the development of new laboratory and lecture content, the development of teaching media including digital media and textbooks, the development of student performance evaluation tools, the development of self-learning and self-testing tools for students, the development of web sites and tools for student communication and the development of tools such as software that advances student learning in the Faculty of Science. The funds are meant to encourage curriculum development and assist faculty members but also should help enhance student interest in science education and develop their skills in this endeavor.

References

• Parker Communications, Fall 2018
• University of Manitoba News
• Dr. Philip Hultin’s Teaching Philosophy (Author: Dr. Philip G. Hultin)
• The What, How and Why of Problem Solving in Organic Chemistry…and elsewhere! (Author: Dr. Philip G. Hultin)
• Obituary

Department Head (1986-1994), Dean Emeritus (2006), Professor Emeritus (2006), BSc (Heriot-Watt), PhD (Aberdeen – Supervisor: Leonard Simkin), PDF (Manitoba – Supervisor: Howard Lees)

James Jamieson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1940. He earned a BSc from Heriot-Watt University and a PhD from Aberdeen University. Jamieson had a short instructor appointment at Aberdeen University before coming to the University of Manitoba to work as a post-doctoral fellow in Howard Lees’ microbiology laboratory.  He was hired as an assistant professor in 1968 for the chemistry department. Within a team of microbiologists, Jamieson helped create biochemistry courses which eventually led to the creation of an honours biochemistry program.

In the department, Jamieson had an active research program, researching the role of glycoproteins in an important metabolic phenomenon, the acute phase response.  He was also a consultant starting in 1970 to help Bruce Chown and Jack Bowman in designing the first plasma fractionation laboratory. In 1973, the construction of the laboratory was completed as well as the first production of the immunoglobulin. Eventually, this work became the basis of the product called WinRho.

Jamieson was not only a researcher and teacher, he also had an active role in administration.  He served on the University Senate, was speaker for the executive, was chemistry department head (1986-1994) and was dean of science for a decade.

References

• Warren, P.; Jamieson, J. C.  Transfusion Medicine Reviews, 2010, 24(1), 68-76.
• Faculty of Science: James C. Jamieson
• Parker Communications, Fall 2017
• Obituary
• Memorable Manitobans

Instructor, BS (St. Louis), MSc (Xavier – Supervisor: Dubbey)

Bernard Leslie Jenko was born in Chicago in 1931. He earned a BS degree from the University of St. Louis in 1956 and an MSc from Xavier University working under Dubbey.  He then moved to the University of Manitoba to work as a first and second-year lab instructor for St. Paul’s College while pursuing PhD studies under Biermann.  No references were found as to whether Jenko obtained a PhD.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 1 – 1960
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No1 – 1960

Professor, BSc Honours (Manitoba), PhD (Manitoba – Supervisor: Alan Campbell)

Elinor Mary Kartzmark was born in Selkirk, Manitoba in 1926.  She earned a BSc and PhD from the University of Manitoba in 1949 and 1952, respectively.  She has always wanted to teach and her career as a teacher began even before she was admitted into university.  She was research active between 1950-1974, collaborating with Alan Campbell and publishing 35 papers.

Dr. Elinor Mary Kartzmark was not only a very successful science educator and researcher, she was also the first female professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manitoba. Elinor was born in Selkirk, Manitoba and grew up in the nearby community of St. Andrews. Her early years of education were spent at the St. Andrews School. In 1943, she spent a year teaching at Sunrise School in Mapleton.

Following the end of her time as a teacher at Sunrise School, she went to Winnipeg where she enrolled at the University of Manitoba for higher education. She always had a passion for literature and science, but ultimately made the decision to study science, specializing in chemistry. She completed her Bachelor of Science in 1949 under the supervision of Dr. Alan N. Campbell, an established research chemist in the Department of Chemistry. She subsequently completed her Master of Science in 1950 and her Doctor of Philosophy in 1952 (Thesis, The Conductances of Strong Solutions of Strong Electrolytes) all under the supervision of Dr. Campbell. She began teaching chemistry as a teaching assistant in 1949, followed by a sessional lectureship from 1950-1952.

At the completion of her PhD, Dr. Kartzmark accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 1952, where she continued researching and subsequently co-authoring 35 publications alongside Dr. Campbell. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1958 and subsequently Professor of Chemistry in 1980 and held this position until her retirement. Throughout her career, she maintained quite a heavy load. She lectured 8 hours a week, conducted two three-hour laboratory sections a week, and ran her own research laboratory. She remains an inspiration to all young and old scientists alike.

Sources: Ainley, M.G., Rayner-Canham, M.F., Rayner-Canham, G. (2012). Created Complicated Lives: Women and Science at English-Canadian Universities, 1880-1980.

References

• Ainley, Marianne G.  Creating Complicated Lives: Women and Science at English-Canadian Universities, 1880-1980.  McGill-Queen’s Press, 2012
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 1 – 1959
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 1 No 1 – 1959
• Obituary

Assistant Professor, BSc Honours (Glasgow), PhD (Manitoba – Supervisor: Allen Robinson)

James Herbert Loudfoot was born in 1916 in Battlefield Gardens, Glasgow, Scotland.  He earned a BSc Honours from the University of Glasgow in 1939 and then started working in the dyestuffs industry in Yorkshire. After about five year, he started an academic career with a short 18-month position at a technical college in London. In 1947,  Loudfoot took up a chemistry lecturer position at the University of Manitoba, teaching organic and biochemistry.  While teaching fulltime he also worked towards earning a PhD from the University in 1956. Loudfoot retired from the University in 1982.

Reference

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 2 – 1961
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 2 – 1961
• Obituary

Associate Professor, BA (Kalamazoo), MA (Harvard), PhD (Harvard), PDF (Alberta)

David William McBride completed a bachelor of arts degree in 1958 Kalamazoo College and a MA and PhD from Harvard University in 1960 and 1962, respectively. His research centered around inorganic chemistry.

References

• Directory of Graduate Research - American Chemical Society, 1974 - Chemical engineering
• Faculties, Publications, and Doctoral Theses in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at United States Universities

Instructor II, Dip Chem (Braunschweig), PhD (Leicester), PDF (Memorial), PDF (Atomic Energy of Canada)

Bansi (Ben) Lal Muju was born in Kashmir, India in 1935. He earned a diploma in chemistry from the Technical University of Braunschweig, and a PhD from the University of Leicester. Muju came to Canada as a post-doctoral fellow, working at Memorial University and the Atomic Energy of Canada. Following his post-doctoral fellowship, Muju was hired as an instructor at the University of Manitoba in 1980. He retired from the university in 2000.

References

• Obituary
• UMFA retirees

Professor, Department Head (-1937), BSc (Glasgow), LL.D. (Manitoba)

Professor Matthew Parker was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland and obtained a BSc from the University of Glasgow. He spent a year at Heidelberg training in organic chemistry methods and then became a lecturer at the Royal Technical College in Glasgow. Parker came to the University of Manitoba in 1904 to help establish the department of chemistry. In the early years of the department, its focus was on teaching and no research. He has only published two research papers. Parker spent much of his time committed to service – he was the only trained chemist in Manitoba for many years and he also acted as the provincial official analyst. He also helped establish the Canadian Institute of Chemistry in 1919 and along with his colleagues founded the Scientific Club of Winnipeg. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba in 1924. Parker retired from the University in 1937 and died in 1953.

The chemistry building at the University of Manitoba Fort Gary campus is named in honour of the late Professor Parker.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 1 – 1960
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 1 – 1960
• Memorable Manitobans
• University of Manitoba Archives – Matthew A. Parker Fonds

Professor, Senior Scholar (1997), PhD (Durham), PDF (NRC – Ottawa)

Alan Queen was born in 1930 in England. He obtained his PhD from Durham University and then started working at Beecham Research Laboratories in Surrey, England. Queen immigrated to Canada in 1961 to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship position with the National Research Council in Ottawa. He moved to the University of Manitoba in 1966 and retired in 1997 when he was awarded a senior scholar title.  Even after retirement, Queen always continued to conduct research and teach undergraduate organic chemistry classes. Queen passed away unexpectedly in 2014.

References

• Obituary

Professor, BA (Saskatchewan), MA (Saskatchewan), PhD (Minnesota – Supervisors: Gortner and Palmer), FCIC

Allen Robinson was born in 1904 in Alliston, Ontario. He completed a BA in chemistry and an MA in cereal chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan and was the first cereal chemist at that University. From there he went to the University of Minnesota to obtain a PhD, studying under Gortner and Palmer.  Robinson had a short appointment at the University of New Hampshire as an instructor before moving to the Manitoba Agricultural College (University of Manitoba) as an assistant professor in 1930.  He was a professor of agricultural biochemistry and retired in 1969.

References

• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 2 – 1961
• The Chemist (Chemistry Newsletter) – Vol 2 No 2 – 1961
• Chemistry in Canada.  1971, 23 (7), 41

Lecturer, BSc (Manitoba), B. Paed (Manitoba), PhD (Manitoba, Supervisor: Alan Campbell)

Walter Rodewald was born in 1929 near Emerson, Manitoba. Walter Rodewald graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1953 with BSc and B.Paed degrees. He then went on to teach at Dominion City High School for three years before returning to the University of Manitoba to pursue graduate studies and to work as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. In 1963 he accepted the position of head of the chemistry department at Brandon University. After a decade working at Brandon University, Rodewald decided to pursue a different path, one of business in running two restaurants (Smittys) and a motel. Rodewald passed away in 2004.

References

• Obituary

Professor, Dean of Arts and Science, President, BA (Manitoba), BSc (Manitoba), MSc (Manitoba), PhD (McGill), FCIC, LL.D. (Alberta), LL.D. (Saskatchewan), LL.D. (Winnipeg), LL.D. (Manitoba), D.Sc (McGill)

Hugh Saunderson was born and completed almost all of his education in Winnipeg.  He joined the U of zM department of chemistry in 1934.  He spent about seven years working with the National Research Council – in 1947, he became director of the division of information services and then in 1951 he worked in the department of defence production.

Saunderson was appointed the sixth president of the University of Manitoba in 1954.

References

• Kelvin High School Hall of Fame Biography
• Memorable Manitobans
• University of Manitoba Archives
• Canadian Chemical News. 1985, 37 (2), 21

Distinguished Professor Emeritus (2004), BSc (Manitoba), MSc (Manitoba – Supervisor: Alan Campbell), D. Phil (Oxford – Supervisor: Sir R.E. Richards), FRSC, FCIC, DSc (Winnipeg)

Considered the “Father of NMR in Canada”, Professor Theodore (Ted) Schaefer had very humble beginnings in Manitoba. He was born in Gnadenthal, Manitoba in 1933. He earned a BSc and MSc from the University of Manitoba in 1954 and 1955, respectively. He was awarded a prestigious Shell scholarship that helped him travel to Oxford to pursue a D. Phil. under Sir RE Richards.  Professor Schaefer graduated from Oxford in 1958 and then came to the University of Manitoba as a faculty member. During his time at the University of Manitoba, he published more than 300 papers and received several awards and honours such as being a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, recipient of an Honorary degree from the University of Winnipeg, the title of distinguished professor from the University of Manitoba in 1982 and inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2003. Schaefer retired from the University in 1997 and passed away a decade later.

References

• Obituary
• Memorable Manitobans
• Wasylishen, R E. Canadian Journal of Chemistry;  Vol. 77, Iss. 11,  (Nov 1999): iv-vii.

Adjunct Professor, BSc (Detroit), MSc (Detroit), D. Phil. (Michigan Ann Arbor), PhD (Wayne State), PDF (Manitoba)

Trieste Guido Vitti was born in 1925 in Detroit, Michigan. He obtained a BSc and MSc from the University of Detroit. He received a D. Phil. in pharmacology from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor in 1952 and a PhD from Wayne State University in 1961. Vitti came to the University of Manitoba initially as a post-doctoral fellow-lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology. Following the completion of his post-doctoral fellowship in 1967, he moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan to be the acting Chief of Medical Biopharmaceutics at Upjohn Company. Vitti was attracted back to the University of Manitoba in 1972 to take up a professor position in the Faculty of Pharmacy. He retired from the University in 1995.

References

• Obituary

Professor, PhD (University College London), PDF (NRC Ottawa)

John Westmore was born in 1937 in England. He completed all of his undergraduate and graduate education in England. He immigrated to Canada in 1961 to work at the National Research Council in Ottawa as a post-doctoral fellow.  He then moved to Winnipeg to join the Department of Chemistry in 1963 and then retired in 2001. His research was in the area of mass spectrometry and has published over 100 scientific publications. Westmore passed away in 2012.

References

• Obituary
• Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) 2013, 65 (1), 43

Professor, PhD (New Brunswick), PDF (Harvard)

Chiu Ming Wong was born in 1935 in Guangzhou, China. He obtained a PhD from the University of New Brunswick in 1964 and then was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. Following the post-doctoral fellowship, Wong came to the University of Manitoba in 1966. He had an active research group, developing anti-cancer medicines – one of which was the highly potent anticancer drug Idarubicin, effective in treating several types of leukemia. He retired in 1993 and passed away in 2014.

References

• Obituary
• Memorable Manitobans