The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Page 62

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER 1973
Martin Keli is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. A. M. McNicoll of 1281 Valour
Road, Winnipeg, and his maternal
grandparents were the late Rafnkeli
and Sigridur Bergson, of Winnipeg.
★
MAJOR-GENERAL NORMAN L.
MAGNUSSON DECORATED
Major-General Norman L. Magnus-
son, a native of Winnipeg, has been
awarded the Order of Military Merit
in the degree of Commander for his
long and distinguished military
career. Fie was decorated by the Gov-
ernor-General.
Major-General Magnusson is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ari Magnusson, of
Winnipeg. Three of Ari Magnusson’s
sons enlisted for service in World War
II, two in -the RCAF and one in the
Infantry.
★
UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG
OWES MUCH TO ICELANDERS:—
says Dr. Duckworth
The story of the University of Win-
nipeg owes much -to the Icelandic com-
munity, university president, Dr. H.
E. Duckworth says.
Speaking to the annual banquet of
the Icelandic-Canadian Society, Dr.
Duckworth told how the Icelanders
contributed particularly to the devel-
opment of Wesley College, one of the
founding colleges of the University.
The university’s familiar grey stone
Wesley building, which faces Portage
Avenue, was built by Wesley College
in 1896.
Manitoba and Wesley Colleges, later
to become United College, and St.
John’s College handled virtually all
teaching of college courses in Mani-
toba until 1914, Dr. Duckworth said.
Wesley, first established iby the
Methodist Church in 1888, quickly
drew -a large contingent of Icelandic
students. By 1909, 48 were enrolled.
In 1914 the college’s development
was shaken when it gave up the teach-
ing of arts courses to the University
of Manitoba and along with Manitoba
College, limited itself to a theology
curriculum.
The loyalty of its Icelandic students
contributed much to the college’s re-
surgence after the war, Dr. Duckworth
said.
Teaching of arts subjects was
resumed.
When the Methodist and Presbyter-
ian churches united in 1926, Wesley
continued teaching arts and sciences
and Manitoba College assumed respon-
sibility for all theology courses.
In 1938 they became the United Col-
lege which became University of Win-
nipeg in 1967.
The University of Winnipeg pres-
ident listed some of the noted -Iceland-
ic graduates of Wesley College.
Among the outstanding Icelandic
students enrolled before World War I
were: Thorbergur Thorvaldson, a 1906
graduate who became head of the
department of chemistry at the Uni-
versity of Saskatchewan and the world
authority on Portland cement; Walter
J. Lindal, of the class of 1911, today
honorary president of the University
of Winnipeg’s alumni association;
Olafur T. Anderson, a 1913 graduate
who joined the Wesley staff in 1917,
remained with the school all his life,
and was dean of United College when
he died in 1958; historian Tryggvi Ole-
son of the class of 1935.
A member of the Icelandic-Canadian
club, Dr. P. H. T. Thorlakson, found-
er of -the Winnipeg Clinic, is currently
chancellor of the University.
—Wpg. Free Press, April 9/73