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Authority record
CUPA1 · Corporate body · 1987

The first trace of the Concordia University Pensioners' Association (CUPA) is a letter sent in August 1987 to retired Concordia employees informing them that efforts were being made to form a Concordia pensioners' association. The first meeting of what was to become the association took place on November 17, 1987. The draft constitution was accepted unanimously at a meeting on May 4, 1988. The objectives of the association are to promote the welfare of all persons drawing a pension from Concordia University; to ensure that their needs and concerns are brought to the attention of the University through such bodies as the benefits committee of the board of governors; to ensure that members are kept informed about University decisions which affect them, as well as the general evolution of the University; to provide a channel whereby the expertise of members may be made available to the University for consulting or volunteer work, and to provide a milieu for social contact among the members.

Marrelli, Nancy
NM1 · Person · 1944-

Nancy Marrelli was born in Montreal November 21, 1944. She is married to Simon Dardick and has two daughters, Rosemary and Anne. Nancy Marrelli studied at Marianopolis College. She received a diploma from the Sir George Williams Business School in 1965 and graduated with a B.A. in history from Sir George Williams University in 1976. She received an Archives Diploma from the National Archives of Canada in 1982, and did their Preservation Management Training Program 1992-1993. In 1996 she participated in the internship known as the Stage technique international d'archives in Paris.

She joined the staff of Sir George Williams University as a library assistant in 1965. She was administrative assistant to the director of libraries from 1967 to 1981. While at the library she was active as a union representative. In 1982, following a fire in the Archives of Concordia University, she was appointed director of Archives, a position she held until her retirement in September 2010. She then became Archivist Emerita. She is the author of Implementing Preservation Management: A How-to Manual for Archives (the French version is entitled La Gestion de la préservation : un manuel pratique pour les services d'archives), published in 1996 by the Réseau des archives du Québec. She has given lectures at numerous seminars and conferences and is the author of a number of articles on archival science.

In 1994 Nancy Marrelli received the Jacques Ducharme prize of the Association des archivistes du Québec.

Nancy Marrelli is co-owner, with Simon Dardick, and editor of the Montreal literary publishing company Véhicule Press.

CUCGHSA1 · Corporate body · 1990-

In the 1990s the Concordia Graduate History Students' Association organised annual conferences called History in the Making, to allow graduate students in history to present papers in their respective fields. The conferences were not restricted to Concordia students: invitations were extended to universities in Québec, Ontario, the Maritimes, and the northeastern United States.

CUCPSA1 · Corporate body

The Concordia Physics Students Association (CPSA) provides a voice for undergraduate students involved in physics or physics-related courses.

Source: Concordia Physics Student Association Web site.

CUCQC1 · Corporate body · 1978-

Founded in 1978, Lesbian and Gay Friends of Concordia (LGFC) was formed primarily as a mutual support group for gay persons in the university environment. Eventually a new goal was added: to bridge the gap of misunderstanding and hate which have developed on all sides of the sexual divide. The association changed its name to the gender-neutral Concordia Queer Collective in 1992.

LCDS1 · Corporate body · 1926-1972

The Loyola College Dramatic Society was formed in 1926. It became known as Loyola Drama, and presented numerous productions over the years. In 1970 there were management difficulties, and Loyola Drama joined with Loyola Music, adopting the name Loyola Musical Theatre Society. After a difficult year 1971-1972, the Loyola Musical Theatre Society was dismantled in the summer of 1972. Other college dramatic companies followed.

Gilmore, John
JG1 · Person · 1951-

John Gilmore was born in Montreal in 1951 and grew up in a suburb, St-Eustache-sur-le-lac, later renamed Cité des Deux-Montagnes. He graduated from the CÉGEP program of Sir George Williams University in 1972. From 1974 to 1976 he trained and worked as a journalist in Bridgend, Wales. Returning to Montreal, he worked at The Gazette from 1977 to 1978 and began studying saxophone privately.

In 1978 he became a full-time student in the jazz studies program at Concordia University, graduating with a BFA (Music) in 1981. While a student, he hosted a jazz program on Radio Centreville CINQ-FM and began researching Montreal jazz history.

From 1981 to 1986 he worked as a freelance editor and writer and taught jazz history for a year at Concordia while researching and writing two books with the help of a Canada Council grant. Swinging in Paradise: The Story of Jazz in Montreal (1988) and Who's Who of Jazz in Montreal: Ragtime to 1970 (1989) were both published by Véhicule Press, Montreal. He later published a paper Jazz Research in Canada: Issues and Directions in Ethnomusicology in Canada, edited by Robert Witmer (Toronto: Institute for Canadian Music, 1990). Swinging in Paradise was published in a French translation in 2009 by Lux Éditeur, Montreal, under the title Une histoire du jazz à Montréal. The French edition includes corrections, new explanatory footnotes, a Preface by Gilles Archamblaut (Québec author and former Radio-Canada jazz host), and a new Afterword by the author.

From 1985 to 1991 John Gilmore worked as a journalist for Radio Canada International, in Montreal, then moved to western Canada, where he lived in Canmore and Calgary, Alberta, and then in Vancouver, BC, from 1991 to 2000. During this period he worked as an editor at the Banff Centre: a music programmer at CBC Radio in Calgary; freelance as an editor and writer; and as a teacher of English as a Second Language in England (where he obtained a Cambridge teaching certificate) and Brazil, and at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Community College.

In 2000 he returned to live in Montreal, where he has continued to work as a freelance writer and editor. He was a sessional instructor for a year in the Education Department at Concordia University, and has been a part-time teacher in the adult education division of the English Montreal School Board. He became a British citizen (while still maintaining his Canadian citizenship) in 2010. His novel Head of a Man was published by Reality Street (UK) in 2011.

Bell, Joe
JB1 · Person · 1908-1972

Joe Bell was born December 20, 1908 in Chester-Le-Street, Durham, England. He emigrated with his family to Canada in 1919 and settled in Toronto. He married in 1934, and he and his wife Anne had a daughter, Joan. He died in Montreal December 4, 1972.

He received musical training through membership in the Salvation Army Dovercourt Corps Band. He worked as a bank clerk, but wanted to earn his living as a trombonist. In 1934 he left Toronto and the Old Mill, where he had been playing with the Leo Romanelli Dance Orchestra, to join the Kramer Band in Montreal. There he played in numerous night clubs such as The Lido, Chez Maurice, and The Normandie Roof in the Mount Royal Hotel. From 1945 to 1965 Joe Bell played with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as first trombone, and then as second. He also taught at McGill University's Music Department, as well as at the McGill Summer Music School in the Eastern Townships. He retired in 1965.

Brereton, Tina
TB1 · Person · [19--]-

Tina Brereton, née Baines, was a dancer in the first all-Canadian Black chorus line in Montreal.

Orion Brownell, Edwin
EOB1 · Person · November 30, 1964 -

Edwin Orion Brownell is a musician and a Concordia University history student.

Boudreau, Walter
WB1 · Person · October 15, 1947-

Walter Boudreau was born in Montreal October 15, 1947 to a musical family. His mother was a pianist; his father, who played alto saxophone in dance bands in Sorel, died just before Walter's birth. Walter Boudreau studied piano from age 7 to 13, then alto saxophone and later tenor saxophone. At 18 he led a jazz quartet. In 1968, with songwriter / poet Raoul Duguay, he founded the Montreal mixed-media music ensemble L'Infonie. Boudreau was the group's conductor and principal composer and arranger. He studied musical analysis at McGill University with Bruce Mather in 1968-1970, and analysis and composition with Serge Garant at Université de Montreal and with Gilles Tremblay at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal in 1969-1973. He had internships in Europe with Kagel, Ligeti, Stockhausen, and Xenakis, and with Boulez in Cleveland. A prolific composer, Boudreau has written for various types of musical ensembles and for Quebec films. He won first prize in the 1973 CBC National Competition for Young Composers. In 1982 he was the youngest-ever winner of the Jules-Léger Prize for his compositionOdyssée du Soleil. He has been the artistic director and conductor for the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, and is invited to conduct other orchestras.

Holmes, Johnny
JH1 · Person · June 8, 1916-June 11, 1989

Johnny (John Joseph Harold) Holmes was born in Montreal June 8, 1916. He died June 11, 1989. He attended Maisonneuve School until he was 10 and then worked as an office boy for a shoe manufacturing company. As a youth he played a cornet his father bought him; at 14 he declined an offer to join the new Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He took a business course and worked for Anchor Cap and Closure as a secretary until 1943. He studied briefly with C. Van Camp, although his skills as instrumentalist and arranger were mostly self-taught. He played with his father and brother in a 22-piece band; there he met Edgar Braidi, viola player for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, who showed him how to write arrangements.

In 1940 he co-founded a part-time, co-operative 10-piece dance band called the Esquires, in which he played lead trumpet. Assuming its leadership in 1941, he renamed it the Johnny Holmes Orchestra. It soon became the most popular big band of the day in Montreal, appearing at Victoria Hall each Saturday night from 1941 through 1951. He discovered many musicians: at various times Johnny Holmes Orchestra members included Maynard and Percy Ferguson, Bix Bélair, Nick Ayoub, Al Baculis, Bud Hayward, Art Morrow, and Oscar Peterson. Singers included Wally Aspler, Lorraine McAllister, Sheila Graham, and Mae Séguin. During the 1950s, after the birth of his daughter, he put his musical career on hold and worked as a salesman until 1960, when he returned to music part-time. In 1980 he began working full-time for CBC Radio. As band-leader he was involved in radio broadcasts including the Johnny Holmes Show, which was broadcast on Montreal CBC Radio between 1959 and 1969, and Broadway Holiday. Between 1966 and 1973 he made a number of recordings; he also produced others musicians' recordings until he retired in 1978. Holmes composed and arranged many musical pieces, including The Fair City, a jazz suite dedicated to Expo 67.

Concordia University. Senate
CUS · Corporate body · 1973-

Senate is the senior academic body of Concordia University. It derives its authority from the Board of Governors. It establishes procedures for the governance of its own affairs, and is the final authority in all matters pertaining to the academic programmes of the University. Its first constitution was approved by the Board of Governors on September 6, 1973, and it sat for the first time on the following October 1st. On that date, Senate adopted the minutes of the last meetings of the Sir George Williams University Council and of the Loyola College Senate. Amendments to the Senate constitution were adopted through the years mainly to keep it up-to-date with administrative reorganization in the University. The Faculty Councils and the Council of the School of Graduate Studies, with their own special powers, report to Senate.

Nixon, Virginia
VN1 · Person · 1939-2015

Virginia Nixon studied English Literature (B.A.) at Carleton University and Art History (M.A., Ph.D) at Concordia University. She was a lecturer in art history and music history in the Concordia University Liberal Arts College. She published numerous articles on the arts and art-related topics in newspapers such as The Montreal Gazette and in magazines such as Montreal Calendar Magazine, The Canadian Forum, Art Magazine and Vie des Arts. Virginia Nixon died in Montreal on December 9, 2015.

LCPRIO1 · Corporate body · 1968 - 1974

The growth of Loyola in the 1950’s created demands for the development of effective internal and external communications for the College community. Publicity and public relations functions were first initiated by the Office of the President with part-time employees and the use of external agencies and consultants. In the fall of 1963, these functions started to be carried out by the newly established Office of Development (Stirling Dorrance, director). With the hiring of full-time public relations officers, an office emerged by the end of the decade, and it served the College’s various information, publicity and public relations needs on a continuing and systematic basis. In May 1968, the Public Relations Office – first called Public Information Office -, under the direction of Nora Cassidy Frood, was separated from the Office of Development and started reporting to the Office of the President.

In June the Events Coordination Centre under the Public Relations Office was created and Les Price was hired as Events Coordinator. The aim of this centre was to centralize the requests for physical facilities and services and provide a central source of organization about Loyola events and activities.

The Public Relations Office maintained regular contact with all media (press, radio, TV) – both local and national – through regular press releases about academic, social and cultural events on campus. It also maintained direct contact with Faculty, Administration, Students and Alumni mainly through internal information bulletins, and with publications like Loyola in Action which ran only a few years (1967-1969) and The Happening, which started as a calendar of events in 1967 and became a bigger publication in 1971 with stories regarding the Loyola Community. It lasted until 1974. The Public Relations Office was involved in the planning of special Loyola events, such as convocations, official openings of buildings, receptions for cultural or social activities on campus. The office was also responsible for the production of publications for internal and external use, such as the internal telephone directory, special events programs and the President’s Report. In September 1970, as a result of an administrative reorganization, the Public Relations Office moved back under the responsibility of the Office of Development Office, and changed its name to Information Services. In 1971, Angela Burke became the new Public Relations Director and the office was then called Public Relations and Information Office, a name it kept until the merger of Loyola College with Sir George Williams University in 1974. It then became the Concordia Public Relations Office at Loyola Campus for the following years.

SGWUOP1 · Corporate body · 1925 - 1974

The Office of the Principal of Sir George Williams University has its origins in the reorganization of the educational program of the Montreal Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) in the 1920s, culminating in the establishment of a separate branch called the Montreal Y.M.C.A. Schools in 1925. The schools thus became a separate unit in the Montreal Metropolitan Y.M.C.A. organization, under the direction of its own Board of Management (which became the Board of Governors in 1937) and its own executive head, the Principal. In 1926, the Montreal Y.M.C.A.Schools became a coeducational institution and changed its name to Sir George Williams College. The Principal was appointed by the Montreal Y.M.C.A. Metropolitan Board on the advice of the Sir George Williams College Board of Management. A. W. Young was the first Principal; his term of office was 1925-1928. In 1948, Sir George Williams College obtained a university charter. That year a special by-law (art. VII, sect. 11) of the Corporation of Sir George Williams College defined the duties of the Principal as follows:

"The Principal of the College, under the direction of the Board of Governors, shall have charge and general control of the work of the College, and shall attend meetings of the Board of Governors and of Committees of the Board. He shall certify all contracts and all bills for payment. He shall define the duties of all employees of the College, who shall report to him as the Executive Officer of the Board in such manner as he may direct."

In 1959, the College requested that the Quebec Legislature amend its charter, changing its name to Sir George Williams University. In 1974, the University merged with Loyola College to create Concordia University. The Office of the Principal of Sir George Williams University thereafter became the Office of the Rector of Concordia University.

The Office of the Principal of Sir George Williams College and later, University, played a significant leadership role in the development of the institution. The Office of the Principal was occupied not only with day-to-day affairs, but also provided vision and guidance for the development of the fledgling institution. Sir George Williams began as a small institution with an unrecognized program, growing dramatically in the period after World War II and again in the 1960s, when there was a dramatic increase in demand for higher education.

The Principals of Sir George Williams College and University were:

Anson W. Young 1925-1928
Frederick O. Stredder 1928-1935
Kenneth E. Norris 1936-1956
Henry F. Hall 1956-1962
Robert C. Rae 1962-1968
Douglass B. Clarke 1968-1969
John W. O'Brien 1969-1974. (O'Brien became Rector of Concordia University in 1974.)
SGWUDSA1 · Corporate body · 1936-1979

The Students' Undergraduate Society of Sir George Williams (SUS) was created in 1936. On January 25, 1966, the Association proposed a new constitution in which it changed its name to Students' Association of Sir George Williams University (SA). In April 1966, the University Board of Governors approved this constitution and a new executive was formed. In October 1971, the Students' Association was put under trusteeship by the University Board of Governors after a series of management difficulties. At the end of November 1971, the Board of Trustees organized a referendum to decide about the future of the association. The majority of students voted for a continuation of the Students’ Association. In March 1972, the Board of Trustees presented a new constitution which was ratified by referendum. On April 13, 1972, the Board of Governors approved the new constitution, but changed the name of the association for “Day Students’ Association of Sir George Williams University” (DSA). Loyola College and Sir George Williams University merge together in 1974 to form Concordia University. The Day Students’ Association continued operation until the creation of the Concordia University Student Association (CUSA), which took over the activities of all the day and evening student associations of Sir George and Loyola in 1979.

SPTABS1 · Corporate body · February 23, 1840-[18--?]

Founded in Montreal on February 23, 1840 by Father Patrick Phelan, the Saint Patrick's Total Abstinence and Benevolent Society claimed to be the first Roman Catholic temperance society in North America. Members pledged to abstain from intoxicating drinks, registered by name, and paid monthly dues. Within one year the Society had 3,000 pledged members. After one year, members were entitled to the Society's death benefits plan which gave money to the family of the deceased, usually the widow. If there was no family, the Society would organize and pay for the burial.

McGee, Thomas D'Arcy
TDM1 · Family · April 13, 1825-April 7, 1868

Thomas D'Arcy McGee was born in Carlingford, Ireland April 13, 1825. He was the fifth child of James McGee and Dorcas Catherine Morgan. He received his early education in County Wexford, Ireland. In 1842 he moved to the U.S. He stayed briefly with an aunt in Rhode Island, and then moved to Boston where he edited the newspaper The Pilot. In 1845 he returned to Ireland and edited the Irish nationalist paper Nation. In Ireland, McGee was linked to the Rebellion of 1848 and was forced to flee to the U.S. For the next nine years he edited newspapers. He founded and edited the New York Nation (1848-1850). McGee then founded the American Celt which he based successively in Boston (1850), Buffalo (1852), and New York (1853). In the spring of 1857 he was invited to Montreal by prominent members of the Irish Catholic community. He moved to Montreal in 1857 and for two years edited the paper New Era (1857-1858). He studied law at McGill University, graduating in 1861.

McGee's political thought was influenced by his experience with the Irish nationalists' cause. McGee called for a new nationality in Canada, which meant the federation of British North America, a transcontinental railway, settlement in the West, and a distinctive literature. In November of 1858 at a St. Patrick's Society meeting McGee was nominated to represent the riding of Montreal West in the upcoming election. McGee won. McGee allied himself with George Brown's Reform party. When Brown's government failed in the elections of 1861, McGee shifted his alliance toward the Conservatives.

D'Arcy McGee was married to Mary Theresa Caffrey in Ireland on July 13, 1847. The couple had five daughters - Martha Dorcas, Euphrasia (Fasa), Rose, Agnes (Peggy), a fifth (name unknown), and one son, Thomas Patrick Bede. Only Agnes and Euphrasia outlived their father. Thomas D'Arcy McGee was assassinated April 7, 1868.

SPSM1 · Corporate body · March 17, 1834-

St. Patrick's Society of Montreal was founded on March 17, 1834 to care for Irish immigrants and to defend the local Irish-Canadian community's interests. The first president was John Donnellan. The creation of the Society in Montreal was followed by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste (June 1834), the St. Andrew’s Society (February 1835), the St. George’s Society (April 1835) and the German Society (April 1835). The St.Patrick’s Society was non-sectarian until 1856 when a new constitution was adopted and it became wholly Catholic while the Protestant members formed the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society. The Society was incorporated in 1863. The constitution was changed in 1973 to accept women as members of the Society. The St. Patrick's Society is a charitable, social, and educational organization. It has the following specific aims: to promote and foster Irish tradition; to aid whenever possible persons of Irish birth or origin, and particularly, Irish immigrants; and to speak, when necessary, on behalf of the Irish Canadian community.

The Society was based at different locations until 1867 when it moved to the newly completed St. Patrick's Hall on Square Victoria. In September of 1872 a fire destroyed the Hall. The Society is now based out of St. Patrick Square at 6767 Cote St. Luc Road.

The Society had a prominent role in the building of St. Patrick's Church, which opened in 1847, and in the creation of the Côte-des-Neiges Cemetery, which opened in 1885. The Society promoted the creation of St. Mary's Hospital, St. Patrick's Orphanage, English Catholic Charities, St. Patrick Square, and the Father Dowd Home for the Elderly. For the Society, the annual ball and luncheon held in March are social and fundraising events. The proceeds are donated to local Irish charities and used for scholarships and grants. The Society also organized the St. Patrick's Day Parade from 1834-1916. In 1928 a group known as the United Irish Societies of Montreal was formed and it now sponsors the city's annual St. Patrick's Parade.

Since 1988 the Society has published NUACHT (news), a quarterly newsletter that updates readers on the local Irish community and news from Ireland.

Tietolman, Jack
JT1 · Person · December 25, 1909 - February 24, 1995

Jack Tietolman was born December 25, 1909, and died in Montreal February 24, 1995. He married Deborah Costom with whom he had six children. He had a career of over 40 years' duration in broadcasting. In 1934, he created the General Broadcasting Company. He opened the French-language radio station CKVL in 1946. He was president and principal shareholder of Radio Futura Limited, Verdun Radio Centre Inc., Radiomonde Limitée, Radio and Television Sales Inc., Verdun Import Sales Corporation and other companies; most were related to the promotion of radio stations.

Active in community affairs, Jack Tietolman was a director of Notre-Dame Hospital, the Douglas Hospital, the Montreal YMCA, the Montreal YMHA, and the Canadian Cancer Society. He was a director of the Jewish Hospital of Hope, and president of the Montreal West End Lodge of B'nai Brith. He was a member of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, the Montreal Board of Trade, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the Quebec Chamber of Commerce. Among other awards, he received L'Ordre de mérite de la culture française and the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Montreal Citizenship Council.

Véhicule Art Inc.
VA1 · Corporate body · 1972-1983

Véhicule Art Inc. was legally founded in March 1972 and the gallery opened at 61 Ste.Catherine St. West in the central core of Montréal on October 13, 1972. The first alternate space in the city, it was the creation of thirteen founding members who wanted a "non-profit, non-political centre directed by and for artists." The gallery was intended "to provide a space for the community in which to encounter art and art ideas through as many forms as these processes involve." This would hopefully, "rejuvenate public interest in the visual arts in Montréal, stimulating public consciousness and developing its interest."

Véhicule was conceived as both an exhibition space for visual artists and a locale for performance, video, film, dance, music, and poetry readings. As well, the founders stressed its essential role as an education and information centre with discussion groups, guest lectures, resource and documentation libraries as well as a liaison programme with public schools and universities within the city. Such aims were intended "to fill a gap in the community."

With some financial support from federal granting agencies, Véhicule embarked on its highly ambitious gallery programming and public information activities. The establishment of a press in 1973, at the back of the gallery, led to the production of artists' books, exhibition catalogues, newsletters, posters and poetry publications. Such Véhicule Press works reflected the multi-disciplinary atmosphere of Véhicule as various members of the group collaborated on specific projects. In addition, a slide bank and video collection were begun, adding to its informational resources.

In the early years, Véhicule's primary preoccupation was to bring to public attention the work of experimental local artists and in particular, their involvement with international trends. The opening exhibition of thirty-two works by twenty Montréal artists, chosen by nine Véhicule members, exemplified not only the concern for the new in the city but the spirit of a collectivity through the jury system. Although only four women artists participated in this show, two months later an exhibition of artwork by thirty-five young Montréal women was presented.

While Véhicule stated it espoused no single ideology, its orientation toward experimental aesthetic attitudes explains its strong support of anti-object art, with its particular emphasis on installation, performance and multi-media projects. During 1972 and 1973, about sixty events and exhibitions were presented, with three hundred participants, almost all from Montréal. A year later, approximately one half of the artists and performers were from outside of the local community. This shift reflected Véhicule's growing concern for becoming a vital part of a larger art milieu. The number of exhibitions and events remained quite constant through the 1970's, reaffirming the energy and ambition of its programming.

By 1975, Véhicule had gained official recognition by the inclusion of its members in two exhibitions organized by Montréal's Musée d'art contemporain. Public galleries outside Montréal also showed the works of Véhicule artists. Véhicule Press had expanded to form a cooperative printing company. The membership more than doubled and the gallery became involved in important exchanges with other alternative art centres in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Its programme of school visits, exhibitions of art students' work from local art schools and universities, as well as public events like the Kite Show (1973) and projects for the 1976 Olympics suggest Véhicule's determination to become an integral part of Montréal's cultural community.

As the membership expanded and the various disciplines represented at Véhicule became more consolidated, individual directions emerged. Véhicule Press developed a more extensive and ambitious publishing programme and became autonomous in 1977 when it moved to Chinatown. Dance and poetry readings increasingly became an essential part of Véhicule's activities. Gallery events and exhibitions were consistently reviewed in local newspapers and its public profile flourished. Video Véhicule, begun in 1976, established the gallery's importance as one of Canada's most active centres for the medium. During the late years of the 1970's video events dominated the gallery's programming and the large proportion of international artists at Véhicule attested to its solid reputation.

Despite these accomplishments, internal conflicts arose concerning the direction of Véhicule's programming and its administration. There was also increased polarization between the various disciplines involved with Véhicule. The original premise of a cohesive artists' collective had dramatically changed. In the summer of 1979, Véhicule moved to a larger space at 307 Ste. Catherine St. West and renamed Le Musée d'art vivant Véhicule.

During the final years, administrative and programming problems continued to plague the group. Memberships fell dramatically but became more restrictive. The separation of Video Véhicule (renamed Prime Video) from the umbrella organization was an example of the fallout from internal discord and conflicting ideologies within the cooperative. The art community which had supported Véhicule for almost a decade now believed that the alternate centre was neither responding to nor reflecting the needs of Montréal artists. That there were three generations of Véhicule artists in one decade demonstrates the shifts in the gallery's orientation and focus. As had happened often in the history of Montréal's art community, a coalition such as Véhicule eventually outlived its original mandate and purpose. As well, the city itself had become more responsive to new tendencies in art. Despite various stop-gap measures to renew interest in Véhicule, the last events took place in June 1982 and it was quietly disbanded in 1983. An era in Montréal's cultural history was over.

Optica Art Gallery
O2 · Corporate body · 1972-

Optica Art Gallery was officially founded in January 1972 by William E. Ewing in response to pressure from artists who convinced him of the need for a centre for the public exhibition of photography. The gallery was initially called les Galeries photographiques du Centaur; it was housed in the Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal. Its mandate was the exhibition of contemporary art.

After renovations in 1974, the gallery changed its name to Optica. Although the gallery originally featured only photographic exhibitions, it was not long before the gallery welcomed, with the Camerart exhibition (December 1974-January 1975), other forms of art. It would now consecrate half of its activities to photography, and the other half to other currents in art.

During the 1976-1977 season, internal policy changes meant that the gallery opened its doors to conceptual art, performance, painting, and sculpture. In 1977, the gallery added to its name A Centre for Contemporary Art. At the same time, its programming was modified and an experimental cinema section was added.

The centre is managed by a board of directors, most of whose 15 members come from the cultural milieu. They are encouraged to take an active part in the gallery's activities and to get involved in the associations to which the gallery belongs, including the Regroupement des centres d'artistes autogérés du Québec and la Société des Musées Québécois.

The gallery is subsidized by the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and le Conseil des arts de Montréal.

Robertson, Alex
AR1 · Person · 1907-1986

Alexander Robertson was born in 1907 in Thorburn, Nova Scotia. He married Angela Julie Baccanale of Montreal in 1943. They had four children: Jennie, James, Anthony, and Alexandra. He died September 10, 1986 in Montreal.

At age 18 he travelled to Vancouver, where he graduated from business college. Through the 1930s he worked as expediter, foreman, and service and production manager, first in Halifax, and from 1935 in Montreal. In 1941, he enlisted in the naval reserve at HMCS Donnacona Montreal RCNVR and left the next year for the regular Navy as a Petty Officer Writer, stationed at Stadacona, Halifax. In 1943 he was drafted on a destroyer leading a convoy to Ireland. After the war he returned to Truro, Nova Scotia. He moved to Montreal in 1949, and worked in the textile industry. He worked in the payroll department of Royal Victoria Hospital from 1967. He retired in 1972 and then did two more years of volunteer work in the hospital's credit union. After that he devoted most of his time to his hobbies.

As a child he had piano and violin lessons, and as a teenager he played banjo and organized an orchestra that played at school dances and socials. During the time he was in the Navy, Alex became interested in jazz and started what was to become a major collection of jazz recordings. His research in Montreal newspapers led to a chronology of musical performances, including jazz, in Montreal between 1913 and 1970. For four decades he researched the record industry, specializing in American jazz recorded in Canada. He compiled the Canadian Compo Numericals, the Apex 8000 Numerical, the Canadian Gennett Series 9000 with the history of the Starr-Gennett recording company, and the Rare Canadian Aurora Label from Victor Masters. It and the Gennet series discographies were published in Record Research . By compiling the company discographies he was able to determine the origin of the recordings in his collection, distinguishing those recorded in the studio in Montreal from those pressed from master tapes recorded in the United States. Thus he identified well known American musicians who recorded in Montreal using pseudonyms. The Discophile Society called Alex Robertson a discographical scientist.

CUBOG · Corporate body · 1973-

The Board of Governors is the senior governing body of Concordia University and is responsible for establishing the legal and administrative framework of the university. In 1973, the initial composition of the Board of Governors was the product of the revision and amendment of the Sir George Williams University (SGWU) charter to include representatives of both SGWU and Loyola College in the context of their merger for creating a new university. On August 10th 1973, the Corporation of SGWU adopted Special By-Law “C” which enacted a change of name to CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY– UNIVERSITÉ CONCORDIA. By-Law “D” was also adopted, which established the governing and administrative structure of the new university. The meeting was adjourned. A new meeting was convened the same day at which corporation and board members resigned and elections were held for new members of the Corporation and of the Board of Governors, in conformity with the revised new structure. During the election which followed, Dr. John W. O’Brien was appointed Rector and Vice-Chancellor and Father Patrick G. Malone was appointed Vice-Rector and Principal of Loyola Campus. At its next meeting, on September 6th 1973, the Board of Governors approved the membership of six associated committees and the constitution of the University Senate. The new university received its legal and official establishment from the Quebec Government only a year later, in August 1974. Meanwhile, the meeting minutes of the Board of Governors and its associated committees were, most of the time, identified as those of “SGWU (to be known as Concordia University)”.

Palmer, Alan Douglas
AP1 · Person · May 18, 1913-March 28, 1971

Alan Douglas Palmer was born in Montreal May 18, 1913, and died March 28, 1971. He started his journalistic career in the 1920s, covering sports for the Canadian Press agency and a number of suburban weeklies. In World War II he served with the Canadian Army for five years, ending his military service as a reporter for The Maple Leaf, the army newspaper. After the war he joined the Montreal Herald as a police reporter before becoming one of its featured columnists with Man About Town. His beat was Montreal when it was known for its tolerance for after-hours joie de vivre. In 1949 he went to Florida to cover the police beat for the Key West Citizen, as well as to report on the Keys for Associated Press and the Florida Daily Newspaper Association. In 1952 he returned to the Montreal Herald as a police reporter, as well as covering the booming night club beat in a daily column called Cabaret Circuit. When the Montreal Herald stopped publishing in 1957 he moved to The Gazette, where he covered the police beat. He had a special interest in the case of Louis Bercowitz, an individual with alleged underworld ties who was in prison for manslaughter. Al Palmer wrote a widely-read column about Montreal called Our Town. He wrote two books, Montreal Confidential and a novel called Sugar-Puss.

Lam, Meilan
ML1 · Person · 1950-

Meilan Lam was born in Vancouver in 1950. She began to work as a film-maker in 1971 at the National Film Board of Canada, specializing in animation and other technical skills on over 80 productions. Her credits include Atmos (1980), The National Scream (1980), Four Centuries: The Firearm in Canada (1982), Victoria Bridge: The 8th Wonder (1988), The Road Taken (1996), Under the Willow Tree (1997), and Moving Pictures (2000). She was director and researcher for the 1998 documentary film Show Girls:Celebrating Montreal's Legendary Black Jazz Scene (French version: Les Girls).

Duncan, Clyde
CD1 · Person · November 23, 1912-March 6, 1973

Clyde Leonard Duncan was born on November 23, 1912 in Guelph, Ontario and died in Montreal on March 6, 1973. Born into a family of musicians, as a child he studied piano and music theory, then took up banjo and guitar and played in a high school band. He also studied accounting. Around 1933-1934 he moved to Montreal to join his brother Lloyd and played banjo and then bass in Myron Sutton's Canadian Ambassadors. From then on the bass was his main instrument. He was a member of the musicians' association, the Canadian Clef Club, where he served as vice-president (1935-1938) and later secretary (1940). He worked with Herb Johnson at the Roseland Ballroom in the late 1930s. In 1940 he joined the Army, and played for Army District No. 4 Band in Montreal before serving at the front in Europe. When he was discharged in 1945 he began working for CP Rail. The next year he moved to Val d'Or with his family and joined the Howard Gegear quintet at the Morocco Club. He worked full-time as a musician until 1951 when, for financial reasons, he moved with his family to Chibougamau. For the next 17 years he worked full-time as an accountant and part-time as a musician; he also gave private piano lessons and was active in the community. In 1968 he stopped working as a musician because of poor health. In 1972 he retired from accounting and returned with his family to the Pointe Saint-Charles district of Montreal.

Reno, Johnny
JR1 · Person · May 11, 1917 -

Giovanni Roco Johnny Reno was born in Montreal May 11, 1917. His parents were from Sicily. He learned to play clarinet at age nine and had private lessons with Joseph Fiori. At 14, he taught himself to play alto and tenor saxophone. By 16, while still in school, he began playing in dance halls in Montreal's St. Henri district. His full-time career started at the Montreal Press Club in 1938 with pianist Al Buckwald. During the 1940s he led his own bands and worked with Jimmy Jones at Rockhead's Paradise (1944-1945) and with Lloyd Duncan at Café St-Michel. He was also the lead alto saxophonist for various big bands, including those conducted by Bix Bélair, Maynard Ferguson, Russ Meredith, and Stan Wood. From 1952 to 1963 he led quartets which played at Café Montmartre. For a year and a half, he worked with Marcel Doré in a show he presented at the Casa Loma night club.He then played in different clubs sporadically before he began working for Joe Christie, accompanying dancers at Chez Paree 1973-1974. Reno also worked as a music copyist, music teacher, studio musician, and composer.

Fleming, Gordie
FL1 · Person · August 3, 1931 - August 31, 2002

Gordon Kenneth Fleming was born in Winnipeg on August 3, 1931. He began to perform professionally in vaudeville theatre in Winnipeg at the age of five, and went on to have a career as a professional musician. He played on radio and television and was well known as a jazz accordionist. In 1949 he moved to Montreal and played at clubs such as Bellevue Casino, the Esquire, Downbeat, and El Morocco, often with name acts such as Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, and Billy Eckstein. Gordie Fleming won the Canadian Jazz Poll four years in a row (1952-1955), among other honours. He recorded a wide variety of musical forms for the London, RCA and other labels and wrote scores for films by the National Film Board and for Columbia/Screen Gems. He moved to Toronto in 1977 and performed at such jazz clubs as Bourbon Street and George's Spaghetti House. He died in Toronto August 31, 2002. He was married to singer Joanne Lalonde for 47 years; they had seven children.