McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Helen Ridont Neilson Fonds
Fonds
2.m of textual records
Helen Neilson was born in 1914 in Quebec City. Ms. Neilson earned her B.H.Sc. from Macdonald College of McGill University in 1939 and her M.Sc. in 1948. From 1940 to 1942 she worked as Assistant Dietician in the Montreal Children’s Hospital. During the World War II, between 1942 and 1946, she served as a research nutritionist with the Royal Canadian Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine in Toronto and was awarded Member of British Empire. After a year spent researching the nutritional needs and problems with the airforce personnel operating in the Arctic from 1948 to 1949, Neilson joined the Staff of Macdonald College in 1949. She served as Director of the School of Household Science, subsequently called the School of Food Science, until 1975. Between 1956 and 1957 she spent one year in Thailand under the auspices of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization as a Home Economist. Neilson was a member of the University Senate from 1967 to 1970. From 1977 to 1978 she was employed as Principal Lecturer and Chairman of Life Management at Riverina College of Advanced Education in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia. In 1980 Helen Neilson was appointed to the rank of Emeritus Professor of Food Science. She has been the recipient of several honours and awards, and has been an active member of the Canadian Dietetic Association. As well as publishing scholarly papers, Ms. Neilson completed A book, Macdonald College of McGill University - 1907-1988.
The Helen Neilson fonds consists of a variety of research notes used as source material for her book on Macdonald College. It includes statistics on students in Household Sciences, as well as names of directors and staff. There are copies of Diaper Dell Doings (1946-1948), Diaper Dell Association pamphlet, which reflects the housing development constructed by McGill University after World War II for the use of student veterans and their families at Macdonald College. Included are also newspaper clippings, notes on teaching and research (1971-1973), and photocopies of sketches of the coat of arms of Macdonald College. There is some correspondence relating to the proposed move to McGill’s downtown campus, the establishment of the provincial CEGEP John Abbott College at Macdonald and the 50th reunion of class 1912 (1917-1952).
Donated by Helen Neilson on January 16, 1991
Box Listing available
Hand-written and typescript