Raymond Wright (1917-2002) served as the chief librarian of the University of Winnipeg from 1961 until his retirement in 1982. During his tenure, the library underwent tremendous growth and change in terms of its number of holdings, size of staff, technology, services provided and the library building itself. The Raymond Wright Papers contain a myriad of documents from the University of Winnipeg’s founding colleges, as well as a variety of individual items with no apparent connection beyond the fact that Wright collected them. While at the time of accessioning no series were made, the records themselves tend to fit within three series, including College records, miscellaneous items and the collected papers of individuals.
The first series contains records from United College, Wesley College, Manitoba College and the University of Manitoba. The first file contains a United College recruitment brochure from 1942, the 1937 Bill to unite Manitoba College and Wesley College, a variety of correspondence, including details of the acquisition of A.S. Cummings A History of Wesley College in 1957, histories of Wesley College and the department of Hebrew language and literature written by W.C. Graham in 1953, an address from 1938-1939 arguing for United College’s independence, United College’s Board of Regents meeting from 1958 discussing the future of United College, and United College’s constitution from 1940.
The second file mainly contains documents on the “Uknighter Affair” from 1968, when the editor of the Unighter was fired after publishing the satirical article “Collegiate students hang Dean by balls.” File 3 contains a copy of the University of Manitoba Statutes and Ordinances from 1877. File 4 includes two copies of “Manitoba College 1871-1921” a 50th anniversary commemorative history of the college, which includes biographies and photographs of prominent people. File 5 contains “Golden Jubilee of Wesley College 1888-1938” a 50th anniversary commemorative history of the college, which includes photographs and lists of staff members. File 6 contains the minute book for the Joint Committee of Council and Historical Library Committees from 1888-1902.
The second series includes miscellaneous items. File 1 contains a handwritten diary by an unknown author written in 1892, which details their journey through Southern Alberta. File 2 contains the “Hastings Observer 1066,” a souvenir mock newspaper from 1966, which commemorates the Battle of Hastings. File 3 contains a tribute to Canada’s centennial written in 1967 by E.J. Thomas, a graduate of 1906, and G.R. Brunet. File 4 contains a birds-eye view map of Winnipeg created by W.G. Fonseca in 1884.
The third series contains records created or related to David Owen, John Mark King, and Elin Salome Halldorson. File 1 contains articles collected and written by David Owen, who joined the faculty of Wesley College in 1932 and retired in 1971. During his tenure he served as chair of the philosophy department and taught in multiple departments. His papers, written from 1937 to 1948, mainly concern the Second World War, and include a postcard urging for the embargo of Japan in 1937, an article published in the 1947-48 edition of the Bulletin of the Manitoba Civil Liberties Association on Hutterites, and a memorandum on “Canadian Freedom in Wartime” and why liberty should be limited. File 2 contains the biography of Dr. John Mark King, the first Principal of Manitoba College, written by Principal John MacKay. File 3 includes the 1946 autobiography of former Wesley College student Elin Salome Halldorson (1887-1970), one of the first women to serve in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
