Biological Sciences at the National Research Council of Canada: the Early Years to 1950 by N.T. Gridgeman, and: Physics at the National Research Council of Canada, 1929–1952 by W.E.K. Middleton (review)

REVIEWS 233 distinguished legalscholar andmemberof theLawFacultywasthenaskedto 'finishwhatHoraceReadbegan.'Willishasdonejust that,withconsiderable skillandinsight. Willistracesthehistoryof Dalhousie LawSchoolfrom itsoriginin •883 as the first professional common-lawlaw schoolin the British empire to its present status asa majorinstitution. Several themes aresuccessfully carried throughthenarrative.Mostimportant,thisisthestoryofasmall butinfluential institution which,until recentyears,wasforcedto scrapeby on perpetually woefullyinadequatefinancialresources. Still,from the daywhenDalhousie LawSchool openeditsdoorsandfirstchallenged thecommon practice of legal trainingbyapprenticeship inthelawofficetothepresent, themostremarkable characteristic of the 'Little Law School'hasbeenitscapacityto provideits students with an innovativeand challenging curriculum.Willistreatsthese matters inlovingdetail,ashedoes thededication of thefacultyandthenotable contribution Dalhousiegraduates havemadeto Canadianlawandpolitics. A History ofDalhousie LawSchool isa personal, opinionated book,rich in pepperycommentaryon founding fathers,benefactors, colleagues, and students throughthe generations, and otherCanadianlawschools. 'Getting and keepinga competentstaffat DalhousieLaw Schoolhasalways beena headache,' he writes.'If in the futureanythingwilltemptthesebrightyoung mentostay it willbethewarmatmosphere oftheSchool andthefeeling,always generalin the Maritimesbut nowspreading to therestof thecountry,that "thereismoretolifethanbeinganintellectual sharpy inToronto."'It isalso a sometimes annoyingbook, replete with the heavydevicesof a pedantic lecturer.Willis is very much awareof what he is doing and he cheerfully disarms thecriticalreaderwiththecommentthathisstyle'smacks toomuchof thelegendary sargeant-major's methodof instruction - "FirstI tells'emwhat I'm goingtosay,thenI sezit, thenI tells'emwhatI said."' Thisisatriflingflawcompared withwhatProfessor Willishasaccomplished. Heistobecongratulated for havingwrittenaninteresting, informative history notjustof Dalhousie LawSchool butalsoof a significant aspect of Canadian legalhistory. SotooistheUniversity of TorontoPress tobecongratulated for havingproduceda veryattractivebook. ROBERT Cm•IC, BROW•University ofToronto Biological Sciences at theNationalResearch Council ofCanada: theEarlyYears to •95o.•.T. C, gIDC, EM•,•.Waterloo,Wilfrid LaurierUniversityPress,•979.PP. xxi, •53. $7.5ø. Physics atthe National Research Council ofCanada, ß9•9- •95•. w.g.K. MIDDLETON. Waterloo, Wilfrid LaurierUniversity Press, •979.PP.x, 238.$9.oo. The historyof Canadianscience canbe of interestto politicaland economic historians. The two books reviewed here deal with the National Research 234 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Council,whichwasfoundedin response to the militaryandindustrial needs created bytheFirstWorldWar.It hasalways seen themajorpartofitsmandate as doing researchfor industry, government,and societyat large. This responsibility hasnotprevented thesRcfromdoingbrillianttheoretical work, buthasconstantly challenged itsscientists withimportantpractical problems. In acountryof Canada's size anddiversity, biological andphysical problems differfromregiontoregion.Asbothauthorsindicate, theirtwodivisions have responded welltoimmediate challenges - such asfindinga suitable varietyof wheatforwestern Canada, orexploiting theiceoftheArcticinfloating military bases (Winston Churchill's impractical idea!).Scientists fromvarious regions of Canada - butparticularly theWest- haveplayedmajorroles inbothdivisions. Yetonewonders whyregional laboratories werenotsetupatanearlydate.The entomological serviceof the CanadianDepartmentof Agriculturestarted regional laboratories inthe•9•os!Gridgeman tells usthesRcBiology Division hadbeenactivein wheatresearch since theturn of thecentury, andstruggled manfully withthedevasting problems ofWestern agriculture inthe•93os. Yet itwasnotuntil •948- andwiththehelpofJimmyGardiner,Liberalminister of agriculturein Ottawaand himselffrom Saskatchewan - that a regional laboratory wassetupinSaskatoon. Anotherinfluential Liberalminister, C.D. Howe, supportedthe cultivationof rapeseed,and, with the help of s•c research, it became oneof thegreatmoneyearnersof Westernagriculture.A Maritimeslaboratory,stimulatedby growing interestin the commercial possibilities of seaweed, eventually openedin •952. Middletonrecounts thehopeof HoweandC.J.Mackenzie, acting president ofthes•c, toestablish 'laboratories inthePrairieandMaritimeregions toserve thespecial needs of thoseareas of Canada.' The federalgovernment accepted in principlethisideaand providedfor immediateexpenses in thebudget; unfortunatelyMiddletontellsus nothingmoreof theseapparently abortive efforts.He mentions theexcellent workin physics at thePrairieuniversities, butleaves tantalizingly unexplainedthefailureof the•c tosetupa research base inthatregion,orintheMaritimes.Gridgemancites acomposite pictureof Biology Divisionmembers in •945 whichends'Forallthishereceives a salary of $2,6oo.'He adds'(Thatfigureisnotof muchinterest or significance, the valueof moneyhavingchanged somuchovertheyears).' Perhaps aneconomic historian could have assisted him! The generalhistorianandreaderwill find Gridgeman's •-pagebibliographyfar moreusefulthanhis36-pagelistof Divisionpublications, whichhas already beenpublished elsewhere. Middleton's listofPhysics Division publications isonly•5pages - thoughhehasnobibliography; oneappendix listing the sections in the Divisionyearbyyearfrom •946 to •952 shows theorganizationaldifficulties anyhistorian of thes•c faces. Thesetwovolumes areuseful accounts of the research andorganization of twomajorsRcdivisions. They show thegreatsuccess ofthese divisions incoping withregional concerns inan REVIEWS 235 Ottawa-based and centralizedorganization. One wonderswhat mighthave beenaccomplished if regionallaboratories hadbeensetup earlyin the•RC'S history - orwhetherprovincial institutions mighthavebeencreated tofillthe gap. jOH• •'ARR¾ University ofToronto Press UpperCanadaCollege, z829-z979: Colborne's Legacy. RICHARD B. HOWARD. Toronto,Macmillan, 1979.Pp.462,illus.$24.95. Publication of thishandsome volumewastimedtocoincide withthesesquicentennialcelebrations in October 1979. Thus the bookhad two functions:to serveasa sortof literarymonument,andto providethefirstcomprehensive history of thecollege. Mr Howardistobecongratulated onhavingsucceeded sowellonbothcounts. Histories of schools andcolleges donotasa rulemake forenjoyable reading.However,wehavehereaveryreadable book,andatthe sametimea welldocumented history. Fromitsfoundation in 1829tothepresent UpperCanada College remains a transplant, takingitsinspiration, itstraditions, anditsidealsfrom thegreat Public Schools of England.The social environment in Canada was,andstillis differentfrom that of Englandsothat mutations from the parentstockare inevitable. In theeyes of theCanadian publicgenerally aboarding school...