Henry Edmison Duckworth was an internationally renowned physicist, university administrator and physics professor. Duckworth was known for his groundbreaking study of atomic masses, as well as his discovery of platinum (the last stable isotope), and his authorship of the first definitive English language text on mass spectroscopy. Born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1915, he graduated from Wesley College in Winnipeg in 1935. He also graduated from the University of Manitoba, and the University of Chicago, where he received his PhD in Physics in 1942. In 1942 to 1945, Duckworth worked on defense research with the National Research Council of Canada, an organization that he continued to be heavily involved with after the war. Following the war, Duckworth briefly worked as an assistant professor of physics at the University of Manitoba, before becoming an associate professor at Wesleyan University in Connecticut where he worked from 1946 until 1951. From 1951 until 1965, Duckworth served as a professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and became chair of its physics department in 1956. Duckworth was actively involved with numerous scientific research organizations, including the Canadian Association of Physicists, and he worked as the editor of the Canadian Journal of Physics. In 1965, Duckworth returned to the University of Manitoba as its Vice-President (Academic). From 1971 to 1981, Duckworth served as the President of the University of Winnipeg, before retiring and becoming a Professor Emeritus. From 1986 to 1992, he was the Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. He passed away in Winnipeg in 2008.

The papers are almost exclusively related to Duckworth’s work as a physicist. They are arranged into three series, including published works; professional correspondence and related documents; and physics notes, diagrams and secondary research sources. Series 1 contains drafts and published journal articles written by Duckworth from 1969 to 1971. The articles cover a range of physics related topics, including atomic mass, neutron separation, etc.

Series 2 contains eight sub-series, which includes correspondence and documents related to national scientific organizations 1970-1971; miscellaneous correspondence 1968-1971; correspondence and documents related to professional associations in Canada 1945, 1952-1964; correspondence with professional affiliations at American universities 1946-1950, 1955, 1960; correspondence with professional affiliations in Canada 1962-1965; correspondence related to Duckworth’s biography 1947-1950; miscellaneous correspondence while at Wesleyan University 1945-1952; and miscellaneous correspondence while at McMaster University 1952-1965.

Sub-series 1 contains executive meeting minutes and financial statements for the Royal Society of Canada, along with correspondence discussing a symposium and critics. It also contains correspondence with the National Research Council of Canada and its newsletters. As well as, research, policies, articles and correspondence related to the organization Manitoba Scientists to Combat Pollution. Sub-series 2 contains miscellaneous correspondence with a variety of scientific organizations, which primarily relate to his work as a physicist, and also included is a list of the past presidents of the Canadian Association of Physicists with a photograph from 1970. Sub-series 3 contains correspondence with the National Research Council of Canada, including discussion on the grant and scholarship program and Duckworth’s appointment. It also contains grant applications for the National Research Council, as well as, membership information, meeting minutes, and correspondence with the Canadian Association of Professional Physicists related to lecture tours and funding. Rounding out the sub-series is an article by L.E. Howlett about the future of physics in Canada, the report for A High Energy Laboratory for Canada 1957, and correspondence related to Physics in Canada. Sub-series 4 contains correspondence related to the Dempster-type mass spectrograph and the paper The Chemistry and Physics of Isotopes, which was presented at the Gordon Research Conferences. Sub-series 5 contains correspondence about the Chalk River meeting, A Proposal for the Cooperative Use of Major Facilities in Nuclear Science by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Canadian Universities, and published articles, drafts and correspondence related to the development of a national science policy in Canada. Sub-series 6 contains correspondence with Who’s Who in Canada, and with United College in Winnipeg. Sub-series 7 contains correspondence from his time at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and almost exclusively relates to his work as a physicist. It includes reports on the Dempster Double-Focusing Mass Spectrograph, as well as correspondence related to physics equipment and laboratories, physics research and the exchange of samples between many universities, government agencies and private laboratories, as well as job references. Sub-series 8 contains his correspondence while at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario including physics research and exchange of samples with universities, research laboratories, and American and Canadian government agencies, as well as job references, and business related to the physics department at McMaster.
The third series is largely undated, but some records are from the early 1950s. This series includes Duckworth’s classroom notes and exams, physics diagrams, and secondary research including published journal articles.

Autograph album of Wesley College student Amy Newton of Roblin, Manitoba. The album contains a photograph of Wesley College and greetings and signatures of her 1929 Wesley College Arts classmates. The signatures are dated March and April 1926.

The fonds contains a scrapbook of Helen McGavin's time as a student at United College from 1941-1944. It contains items pertaining to Helen’s academic achievements and social life. Items in the scrapbook include newspaper clippings about events on campus and classmates, including photos; invitations, programs, and pamphlets from school and social events; personal telegrams and letters; and class registration documents. It also includes small objects such as a pencil, candle, and key, as well as dried flowers. Her scrapbook makes for an interesting time capsule, while her enthusiasm and willingness to participate in whatever she could established a lifelong pattern.

The fonds consists of personal photographs, with some enlarged professional prints, mostly from Ilo McHaffie's time as a student at Wesley College, 1916-1920. The images primarily depict campus life: sports, drama, dining, student residence, and fashion. Some images show McHaffie's friends and family at such occasions as graduation, wedding, military service, or travel. While most of the images are from Wesley Hall, Sparling Hall, 288 Broadway, or other Winnipeg locales, other identified locations include Penticton, BC; Regina, SK; Swan River, MB; French River, MB; and Ottawa, ON. The fonds is arranged into four series: enlarged prints and three albums, from which the photographs were removed and rehoused where possible.

The fonds consists of records documenting Iris Maurstad's time as a student at United College. The fonds consists of Vox yearbooks (1950-1954), Creative Campus journals (1949-1953), the May 1954 University of Manitoba Convocation program, the 1955 United College Grad's Farewell program, a program honouring the 50th anniversary of her convocation class (2004), a newsclipping re: a short story by former faculty Victor Leathers, and 2 photographs of Maurstad and her fellow students - Barbara McIntosh and Lee Gibson (nee Patterson).

The fonds contains minutes and correspondence of the Subcommittee to Study Feasibility of a Metis Chair. Dr. Brown was a member of the committee.

Fonds consists of several catalogues and price lists published by the J.H. Ashdown Hardware Company, advertising the wide range of goods they sold including tools, furnishings, hardware, household wares, and industrial equipment. Includes the first fully illustrated catalogue published by the company in 1888, ranging to one of the last made before the company was sold with pages dating from 1968. The fonds also includes a copper etching plate bearing the image of the company’s store in Edmonton.

John Henry Riddell (1863-1952) was the principal of Wesley/ United College from 1917 to 1938, and also served as a Methodist minister. The collection is arranged into one series, which includes photocopies of newspaper articles related to Riddell, and a small number of correspondence written by Riddell.

John M. King was a Presbyterian theologian, educator and administrator. He was born in Scotland in 1829, and moved to Toronto, Canada in 1863 as a home missionary. From 1883 until his death in 1899, King served as the principal of Manitoba College and the minister of St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His papers are arranged into two series, his biography and correspondence. King’s biography consists of the Manitoba College Journal published in March 1899 upon his death, which contains a collection of biographies of different aspects of his life written by several different individuals. The second series consists of correspondence written and received by King from 1883 to 1899, which primarily concerns Manitoba College and his work as principal.

The papers are arranged into three series, which include correspondence, publications and examinations. The correspondence primarily relates to MacKay’s work as principal of Manitoba College. The correspondence series has been arranged either alphabetically according to the sender’s last name, or chronologically, and includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1916 to 1940. The correspondence series consists of five sub-series, which includes correspondence related to Manitoba College’s faculty, business, general and MacKay’s personal correspondence 1919-1939; correspondence with and about students 1919-1938; miscellaneous correspondence 1919-1940; correspondence about the Carnegie Foundation 1925-1933; and correspondence related to the Christian and War Emergency Educational Funds 1916-1921.
The first sub-series contains correspondence related to a variety of matters, including discussions on faculty appointments and concerns, the finances of Manitoba College, student concerns and admittance, staff and student recommendations, the union of Methodist, Presbyterian and other Protestant denominations into the United Church, and the union of Wesley College and Manitoba College. The second sub-series consists of correspondence with and about students, and includes discussion on enrollment, references, missionary work, and the theology department. The third sub-series contains miscellaneous correspondence that largely overlaps with the previous two sub-series. The content of the correspondence includes financial records, curriculum, reports and histories on colleges and churches in Manitoba, reports and correspondence with churches, Manitoba College Senate meeting minutes, reports on immigration, and discussion on ministerial work. The fourth sub-series contains Manitoba College financial records, discussions about the College's affiliation with the University of Manitoba, and grant requests to the Carnegie Foundation. The fifth sub-series contains correspondence related to the Christian and War Emergency Educational Fund, and includes fundraising, and correspondence with the federal Department of Soldiers’ Civil Re-Establishment (which occupied Manitoba College during the First World War).
The second series consists of various publications and addresses written by MacKay from 1919-1940, which mainly relate to Christian theology and the First World War. It includes “Canada’s Attitude to War and Armaments,” “The Manifesto of Altruism: The Answer to the Challenge of Russia,” “Brass Tacks on the Peace Question,” “Modernism,” “The Changing Map of Canada,” “British Israel,” and “Corpus Christie.” The series also includes correspondence about his publication sales.
The third series contains examination questions from the theological department from 1936 to 1938.