The Principal and the Dean

Abstract

On a beautiful day in May 1916, a graduation convocation was taking place at the Royal Victoria College assembly hall at McGiU University in Montreal. The events of this assembly were related years later by Dr. Harold Segall, who was present at the cofivocation as a freshman in the McGill Medical School. The convocation was proceeding as scheduled. The new graduates iri medicine had been capped, and the various prizes had been awarded. The moment for the delivery of the valedictorian address arrived and Harry Goldblatt, the valedictorian and first in the senior class came up to the podium to deliver his address. He began by paying tribute to the great men of the university who were responsible for McGill's reputation as one of the leading medical schools in the l country. Then, as freshman Harold Segall reported the proceedings, Harry exploded a bomb. He stated that the reputation of McGiU was in great danger and that measures should be taken to save it. Harry mentioned that the Carnegie Foundation which had given McGill an ' X' rat-

Wilder Penfield, Sir Arthur Currie, and the Montreal Neurological Institute

“…The reorganization of the surgical services substantially improved the local "climate" at the time that Penfield was being recruited. Details of the fractious McGill-RVH politics, Dean Martin's leadership, and his productive relationship with Principal Currie can be found in Entin et al 11 Martin and Currie's negotiating skills ensured that the ownership and control of the MNI was at McGill and not the RVH. 11 Deliberations continued after Penfield's initial visit to Montreal and he eventually arrived in Montreal in late 1928 as the Professor of Neurosurgery at McGill and Surgeon-in-Charge of Neurosurgery at the RVH.…”

“…Details of the fractious McGill-RVH politics, Dean Martin's leadership, and his productive relationship with Principal Currie can be found in Entin et al 11 Martin and Currie's negotiating skills ensured that the ownership and control of the MNI was at McGill and not the RVH. 11 Deliberations continued after Penfield's initial visit to Montreal and he eventually arrived in Montreal in late 1928 as the Professor of Neurosurgery at McGill and Surgeon-in-Charge of Neurosurgery at the RVH. 1 The novel concept of an institution which housed under one roof neurological clinical care and laboratories for neuroscience was not a prerequisite for Penfield coming to Montreal.…”

Penfield and the Founding of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness

“…They would forego private practice and receive a salary from the University, for which they would limit their clinical activities and devote most of their time to teaching and research. 1,2 McGill's faculty and governance rejected Martin's plan because they feared that it would decrease the chosen hospital's income. Martin visited William Osler in July 1918 to enlist his support.…”