Series 2 - Correspondence

The correspondents in this series number just under four hundred individuals, of whom sixty-two read and commented on the entire manuscript (these names are listed on page 723 of the 2002 hardcover edition). The correspondents include Professor Friedland’s research assistants, archivists in the University of Toronto Archives, officials and editors at the University of Toronto Press, other editors, writers and independent researchers with an interest in the University’s history, and members of the public that Professor Friedland met in the course of his research and his giving of talks about the history of the University. The majority of the correspondents are academics and administrative personnel at the University of Toronto and elsewhere who were asked for information or offered their expertise. Some of the correspondence is post-publication reaction to the book.

The research assistants (in addition to those listed in Series I), are Sara Burke, David Bronskill, Colin Grey, Graham Rawlinson and Katrina Wyman. Of the staff in the University of Toronto Archives, Harold Averill was seconded part-time to the project to direct the researchers to the appropriate sources in the University Archives, to offer his knowledge of the history of the University and to read the manuscript. Other correspondents from the Archives are Garron Wells (University Archivist), Marnee Gamble (special media archivist) and Loryl MacDonald (administrative records archivist). The University of Toronto Press, the publisher of the book, is represented by Val Cooke, Ani Deyirmenjian, Malgosia Halliop, Bill Harnum, Anne Laughlin,
Melissa Pitts, and Ron Schoeffel. Presidents (past and current) of the University represented are: Robert Birgeneau, Claude Bissell, George Connell, Robert Prichard, and David Strangway. Some of the academics and university administrators forwarded drafts of articles or excerpts from books they were writing, while others commented on the manuscript or portions thereof. Papers or lengthy memoranda and reports are present on a cross-section of activities, disciplines themes and individuals relating to the University including (with the names of the correspondents in brackets). They include the admission of women (Sara Burke), botanical gardens (John Court), chemistry (Susanne McClelland), Connaught Laboratories (George Connell), engineering (Richard White), fees policy (David Stager), gays and lesbians (David Rayside), Jacob Hirschfelder (Sheldon J. Godfrey), Margaret Eaton School (John Byl), history of medicine (Jacalyn Duffin), medicine (David Bronskill), No. 4 General Hospital at Salonika, Greece during World War I (Mary Louise Gaby), philosophy (John Slater), the proposed Wolfe’s University (D. V. Anderson), women (Katrina Wyman), and women in graduate studies (Natalie Zemon Davis).

In addition to letters, the files may contain articles, notes, memoranda, background documents and publications, and the occasional press clipping A few of the files contain historical items, dating back to 1887, that had belonged early graduates and were forwarded by their descendants, Professor Friedland’s correspondents. The detailed comments on the drafts of the book by the correspondents in this series may, for the most part, be found in Series 4.