The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2000, Side 21

Vol. 55 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
319
7. H. H. Saunderson, The chair of Icelandic Language and Literature, published by The
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, August, 1961. This booklet of some 40 pages not
only provides the history and background of the original fund-raising campaign but also includes a
complete list of all donors known at that time. i.e. 1961.
8. Shipments must have been interrupted by war time priorities because the author can recol-
lect seeing several packing cases occupying most of the available floor space in his father's office
at the University awaiting cataloguing. The date of that memory must have been between 1945 and
1950.
9. As noted in Dr. Kirsten Wolfs article: Forty years of Icelandic at the University of Manitoba,
The Icelandic Canadian, vol. L, No.2, Winter. 1991, pp. 61 - 79, the full text of Dr. Gillson's address
was printed in The Icelandic Canadian, vol. 9, no. 4, 1951, pp. 22 - 24. The present author recalls
acting as an usher at that event in 1951 and sensing the high spirits of accomplishment throughout
the large audience. It was also the first time that he met Dr. Gillson and was struck first, as were
most, by the President's lantern-jawed and homely face, a reaction that soon passed as soon as Dr.
Gillson spoke. His charm made one forget all about his looks!
10. For a detailed analysis of funding sources of all activities, typical of this and the ensuing
period, see R. A. Johnson, The icelandic Chair, Department and Icelandic Collection, Libraries at
The University of Manitoba, The Icelandic Canadian, vol LIV, no. 2, Winter 1996/97, pp. 80 82.
11. In the few years before this, the author, through his university responsibilities, became
acutely aware of this shortfall and increasing dependence on the University's budget at a time when
those resources were under increasingly severe constraints. Low enrollments could have made the
Department's budget position vulnerable. At a university function he mentioned this to Dr. P. H. T.
Thorlakson who expressed concern that such should be the case, but that conversation was inter-
rupted by proceedings. Some months later at a second chance meeting, Dr. Thor continued the con-
versation as though there had been no intervening months. Soon after, Dr. Thor recruited A. F.
(Steinni) Kristjansson and Neil Bardal to lead a new campaign - in a manner that is best left to the
latter to describe! It seems that my branch of the Johnson family is destined to play the roles of
agents provocateurs!
12. While the Chair has always had the formal title The Chair of icelandic Language and
Literature, the name of the Department has, as agreed in section 3(c) of the 1949 Trust Deed, fol-
lowed the practice of the naming of other departments. In 1951-52 it appeared in the University’s
General Calendar as the Department of icelandic Language and Literature, but from 1952 on as the
Department of Icelandic.
13. Present at that meeting were: Helgi Austmann, Neil Bardal, Larry Johnson, John
Matthiasson, Albert Kristjansson, Tom Oleson, Kristine Perlmutter and Timothy Samson from out-
side of, and Kirsten Wolf, Robert O'Kell (Associate Dean of Arts at the time, now Dean), and
Richard Johnson (then Vice Provost) from within the University. The meeting was kindly hosted by
Tim Samson at the offices of Aikens MacAulay & Thorvaldson.
14. While a "Decision" of the Fund Committee requires a majority of those members present
and voting at a duly constituted meeting, a "Special Decision" requires the support of three-quarters
of those present and voting.(Terms of Reference, section 10.)
15. See the complete coverage of this event by Kell Howard in the 10 March 2000 issue of
Logberg-Heimskringla.
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