Fontanus - (E-Journal - McGill University)

Hanlon, Peter

English

"That Best Portion of a Good Woman's Life": Gertrude Mudge, 1886–1958

Editors, The


In Memoriam 
John Peters Humphrey 
(1905-1995) 
John Peters Humphrey was born in Hampton, New Brunswick. His childhood was marked by tragedy and 
subsequent tribulation. His father died before he was a year old and his mother, like her husband, of cancer when 
he was eleven. After an accident at age six, his left arm was amputated at the shoulder. After his mother's death, 
the executors of his father's estate sent him to a boarding school run on the British model. This was not a happy 
experience as many of the masters were martinets and his fellow pupils acted with predictable cruelty to the one- 
armed orphan. So desperate was Humphrey to leave this environment that he privately studied an alternative 
curriculum so he could gain acceptance to Mount Allison Academy two years before normal matriculation. The two 
years that he spent in Sackville were not an academic success, but he was not ready to enter business as his guardian 
wished. He finally got approval to enter the Commerce programme at McGill, which began an association with 
the institution which lasted over seventy years. 
The Commerce curriculum and several summer jobs convinced Humphrey, by the time he got his degree in 1925, 
that a business career was not for him and he decided to become a lawyer. Since a B.A. was a prerequisite for the 
McGill faculty, he applied to and was accepted by Osgood Hall. He went to Toronto, found an apartment and 
obtained a job articling in a Bay Street firm. Within a week, however, he decided that he could not live in Toronto 
and returned to Montreal. His Economics professor, Stephen Leacock, told him how he could obtain the B.A. while 
taking some courses towards his law degree. Over the next four years he was awarded his B.A. (1927) and his 
B.C.L. (1929). Some years later he took a doctorate (1945), giving him the possibly unique distinction of graduating 
from four different faculties. 
After six years working in a Montreal law firm, again an experience that he did not enjoy, Humphrey was 
delighted when his old professor, Percy Corbett, asked him to join the Faculty of Law. The agreement was that 
Humphrey would teach Roman Law but take over the international law course, his real interest, when Corbett 
retired in a few years. Humphrey found his true vocation in teaching and, apart from a twenty-year hiatus when 
he worked for the United Nations Secretariat from 1946-1966, he was on the Faculty until 1993-94. His U.N. 
activities, particularly in the field of human rights, have been well documented both in his own writings, the 
published editions of his diaries, and the articles based on his papers which have appeared in Fontanus. The 
leadership role that he took in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and his lifelong 
commitment to the promotion of these rights are now receiving the recognition that they deserve. 
In March, 1995, the Faculty of Law sponsored a public lecture and private party to mark Humphrey's retirement 
from teaching nine months previously. He was, however, still active in the advocacy of individual causes, in 
particular the questions of compensation for the Canadian Hong Kong veterans and the Korean comfort women. The 
evening gave him a great deal of pleasure, but the next day he went to hospital with cardiac problems. Within a 
week he died of pneumonia, not knowing that the Japanese would shortly issue a formal apology for its wartime 
treatment of Korean women. He left the bulk of his large estate to the promotion of scholarship in the field of 
human rights at major Canadian law schools, but made a significant contribution to the new McGill law library. His 
large collection of books and manuscripts were also left to McGill and these will prove an important resource for 
future scholars. He was a great friend to the libraries and, in recognition of this, his family asked that donations 
in lieu of flowers be given to Fontanus. 


In Memoriam: John Peters Humphrey (1905–1995)

-, -

Complete Vol 8 (1995)

Hobbins, A.J.

Humphrey and the Old Revolution: Human Rights in the Age of Mistrust

Front cover

Möller, Hans

Editorial 
During 1995, we lost two eminent academic colleagues of ours. Maxwell John Dunbar and John Peters Humphrey 
sadly passed away. Both were faithful friends of McGill Libraries. both contributed greatly to the contents of 
Fontanus publications and both were strong supporters of the entire Fontanus project. 
John Humphrey's papers and correspondence gave materials for three articles in Fontanus, volumes II, IV and VI, 
and one Fontanus Monograph IV (1994): On the Edge of Greatness vol. I. Two more volumes in preparation will 
complete this major contribution to the study of human rights. 
In 1991, Max Dunbar published an account of his first scientific expedition in Fontanus volume IV under the title 
"Greenland Adventure 1935: Diary of a very young man, age 20," illustrated by his own photographs from that 
year. Earlier this year, 1995, he authored Essaysfrorn a Lge: Scotland, Canada, Greenland, Denmqrk, which came 
out as Fontanus Monograph V (1995). I was able to give him a copy of this book just hours before be  passed away 
on February 14th. 
Generous contributions to Fontanus publications were made by friends, colleagues and relatives in memory of these 
two remarkable men to whom this volume VIII of Fontanus is dedicated. 
It is heartening to me as editor to experience that in the eighth year of publication of Fontanus, articles and 
manuscripts continue to be offered by librarians, professors and other academics. The publications are beginning 
to be reviewed in scholarly journals, as they become better known in Canada and abroad. We are grateful that 
McGill-Queen's University Press has now assumed responsibility for all marketing and sales in Canada, the United 
States and overseas. This should ensure a wider circulation than before. 
This volume contains eight articles and some notes on a variety of topics related to the very rich McGill collections 
in libraries, archives and museums. It is interesting to note that the articles, directly or indirectly, and in addition 
to various historical topics, also touch on current and much debated issues such as equality of women, human rights, 
and individual rights vs. collective rights. 
Hans M6ller 
Editor 


Editorial

Back cover

Chronicle

Contributors 
Maria L. Brendel is a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University . he holds an M.A. in Art History from McGill and 
a Diploma in Museum Studies from the niversity of Southern California (USC), Lo Angel . Last year he 
curated the exhibition In Search of ... USC's Baroque Masterworks from the Armand Hammer Collection , for the 
Fisher Gallery (USC's Art Museum) Los Angeles. Recent publications include essays for the exhibition catalogue 
I aac Cruikshank and 71te Politics of Parody: Watercolor: from the Huntington Collection , Huntington ibrary and 
Art Collection, San Marino (1994). 
Martin A. Entin grew up in Montreal and graduated from McGill Medical School in 1945. He served as aRe ident 
at the three McGill Teaching Hospital and spent ix month in neurosurgery at the Montreal eurological ln titute 
on Dr. Penfield 's ervice. Ent in decided to specialize in surgery of the hand which wa emerging as a new and 
challenging field and spent one year of study with Dr. Sterling Bunnell in San Franci co in 1950. He developed the 
Hand Clink at the Royal Victoria Hospital and pursued recoo tructive work in congenital anomalies of the upper 
limbs at the Shriners' Hospital in Montreal. He hosted periodic workshops as part of graduate education in Surgery 
of the Hand. He edited 5 volumes of Surgical Clinics of North America published by W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia. 
Dr. Entin is Associate Professor of Surgery at McGill University and bas had long-term experience in medical 
writing which encompasses over ninety articles in medical journals and several chapters in textbooks. He erved 
as member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for seven year . He has a 
sustained interest in the History of Medicine and has wriueo numerous biographical .sketches and historical articles 
that have been published in the McGill Medical Journal , Speculum McGill New. , Surgical Clinic of orth America , 
Annates de Chirurgie Pia tique (Paris), Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Montreal Med-Chi Ne~~ , Canadian 
Journal of Surgery, McGill Sigma Xi Newsletter, and Annal of Physicians and Surgeon of Canada . Forth past 
five years, Entin bas been working on the biography of Dr. Edward W. Archibald-McGill Profes or of urgery 
1923-1935 considered one of the surgical scientists who based the practice of surgery on basic science. Entin was 
appointed Chairman of the Editorial Committee charged with producing a Centennial Volume for the tOOth 
Anniversary of tbe Royal Victoria Hospital celebrated in June, 1994. ln 1993, be was elected President of the 
Montreal Branch of Canadian Authors ' Associates. 
Stanley Brice Frost joined McGill University is 1956 as Professor of Old Testament Languages and Literature and 
during the next two decades became intimately concerned with the admini tratioo and direction of the Uni er ity . 
He was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Divinity in 1957 Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research 
in 1963, and Vice Principal (Administration) in 1970. For ten year , he was chai rman of the niversity Libraries 
Committee. amed Director of the Hi tory of McG ill Project in 1974 be bas been the roo ing pirit in the 
organization of the popular James McGill Society, serving fi 1 as it executive secretary and now as Honorary 
President . His publications include Old Testament Apocalyptic, 1952 Standing and Understanding 1969 and the 
two volumes of the McGill history, 1980 and 1984. A biography of Cyril James was published in 1991 and James 
McGill of Montreal in September 1995. 
Margaret Gillett bas spent a good proportion of her thirty year at McGill University helping to advance the tatu 
of women oo campus. She was the Founding Director of the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women, 
former Macdonald Professor of Education and member of the Board of Governors, and now holds the rank of 
Professor Emerita. She was also Founding Editor of the McGill Journal of Education and ba written or edited ten 
books, including a history of women at McGill. Her most recent work, co-edited with Dr. Ann Beer, is Our Own 
Agendas: Autobiographical Essays by Women As ociated with McGill (MeGill-Queen's niversity Press 1995). 
Peter Hanlon is the grandnephew of Miss Gertrude Mudge. He hold a B.A. from Sir George Williams ni crsity, 
a B.L.S. and M.L.S. from McGill University and an M.A. in history from McMa ter University. He has written 
a number of biographical studies which have appeared in the Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Volum U, 1876-
1924 and ill, 1925-1 939) and in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (Volumes Xll, 1891-1900 and xm 1901· 
1910). He is also a contributor to the forthcoming Volume XIV ( 1911 - 1920) of the Dictionary of Canadian 
Bwgraphy . 
167 
Contributors 
John Hobbins obtained his B.A. (Hons. Hist.ory, 1966) and his M.L.S. (1968) from McGill Univer ity. Since then 
be has worked for the McGill University Libraries as Reference Librarian, Instructional Services Librarian, Head 
of Interlibrary Loan Head of Acquisitions, Central Technical Services and Acting Law Librarian. He i currently 
Associate Director of Libraries with a pecial responsibility for ystem and Technical Services. He is a former 
contributor to Fontanu including two articles based on the Humphrey paper , and has edited the first volume of 
the Humphrey diaries. 
Robert H. Michel holds a doctorate from McGilJ University. He worked as archivist for historical records and 
reference ervices at the McGill niversity Archives from 1974 to 1995. A contributor to recent issues of Fontanu , 
he is undertaking everal research and writing project , including a study of seventeenth-century marriage theory. 
Continuing hi archival work, he i current ly a project archivist at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. 
Hans MoJler was born in Copenhagen Denmark , where in 1945 he acquired a Ph.D. in Danish Language and 
Literature niversity of Copenhagen). After working as a librarian at the Royal Library ( ational Library of 
Denmark) from 1948- 1955 be immigrated to Canada to take up a position as executive producer at the ational 
Film Board of Canada ( 1956-1969). In 1974 be became Chief Librarian at Univer ity of Ottawa and in 1977 be took 
a po ition as librarian at McGill University. From 1984-86 be erved as Director of McGill Libraries and presently 
function as Research and Development Librarian. He also hold an appointment as Associate Professor of Danish 
Language and Scandinavian Literature in the Department of German Studies. In 1988 he created the Fontanu 
journal and monograph series, of which be i the general editor. 
Ro emary Turpin is a recent (1992) graduate of Concordia' ibrary Studies and cieoce and Human Affairs 
Departments. Before finishing that degree, she worked as a ecretary usually on a temporary basi , for about 
twenty-fi e years. This is her first academic publication. She is now pur uing an M.L.I. . at McGill. Her other 
int rests include various non-profit organizations: be i on the Board of Directors of Teninform, a housing 
advocacy group, and recording secretary of Le Habitations Sberbrooke Forest, where he lives. In her spare time 
he belongs to the ociety for Creative Anachronism, Societe des Calligrapbes and the ational Puzzlers' 
League. 
168 


Contributors

Turpin, Rosemary

Isabella Christine McLennan

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