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History
Elspeth Chisholm, public servant, broadcaster, journalist, was born in Port Hope, Ontario, in 1915, where she received her elementary and secondary education. She acquired a diploma in library science from the University of Toronto Library School in 1933 and in 1937 she received a B.A. from Trinity College. Ms. Chisholm began her working life as a librarian for the Toronto Public Library (1939-1941) and the Trinity College Library (1941-1942). During that period, she also did freelance work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1942, Ms. Chisholm became a permanent staff member of CBC, serving as national planner for the Talks Department until 1945. Freelance work between 1945 and 1949 included summer works (1946-1947) at Queen's University Summer Radio Institute an NFB contract (1947) and a CBC International Service contract (1946-1949). In 1949, Ms. Chisholm joined the CBC International Service staff in Montreal, was international service representative in Toronto from 1955-1956 and from 1956-1959 was national program organizer for CBC's Public Affairs Department.
In the decade that followed, Ms. Chisholm freelanced. Between 1960 and 1970, she prepared broadcasts for the CBC, the BBC and the CBC International Service. Under contract with the National Film Board as production research officer (1962-1965), she wrote, produced and directed the film Experienced Hands (1965). She received Canada Council Grants (1967 and 1970) to compile data on major Quebec political figures and in 1970 she worked on a project about Harold Adams Innis for the Canadian Radio and Television Commission's (CRTC) research department.
In 1970, Ms. Chisholm began teaching journalism and broadcasting at Algonquin College and remained a full-time staff member until 1980. During that period, she also conducted seminars and taught part-time courses at the Carleton University School of Journalism. In 1978, she was seconded to McGill University for six months to initiate the "Grierson Project" to acquire material on John Grierson for the university archives. After returning from Algonquin College, Ms. Chisholm resumed freelance work which included interviews on the history of the CBC as part of an oral history project. As honorary consultant to the Grierson Project, Ms. Chisholm organized the first Grierson conference at McGill University in 1981.