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Letter, October 19, 1916
Item
1 pages
Herbert Alexander Bruce was born on September 28, 1868, in Blackstock, Ontario.
He was a physician, educator, and politician who served as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (1932-1937). He was educated at the University of Toronto (M.D., 1893), Vienna and Paris. Specializing in surgery, he rose to the top of his profession. In 1911, he founded the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto and became a professor of surgery at the University of Toronto. During World War I, he was appointed Inspector-General of the Canadian Medical Services. He produced the Bruce Report on the Canadian Army Medical Service, a frank criticism of medical care provided to Canadian soldiers serving overseas. The report was disowned by the government, and he was dismissed from his duties. Dedicated to public service, Bruce was appointed the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (1932-1937) and served as the Conservative member of Parliament for Parkdale, Toronto (1940-1946). In 1934, he condemned the state of Toronto's poorer neighbourhoods and was a vocal member of the Opposition during World War II. Bruce championed cancer care in the 1920s, social housing in the 1930s, better health care for the military and veterans, and the introduction of contributory health insurance in the 1940s. His autobiography "Varied Operations" was published in 1958.
In 1919, He married Angela Hall (1895–1982). He died on June 23, 1963, in Toronto, Ontario.
Letter to William Osler from H.A. Bruce, Cecil Chambers, 86 Strand, London, England. Bruce writes of matters relating to the Taplow affair. A committee of officers investigated the Duchess of Connaught Hospital and determined that the Matron, Edith Campbell, should be changed. Gen. G.C. Jones was then consulted and on his authority, Campbell was removed. Bruce writes of the sacrifices he made in order to better the Canadian Medical Service. He explains that Jones was recalled to Canada to re-organize the medical service there. Bruce makes no apologies for his handling of the Canadian Army Medical Corps affair.
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Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (correspondence)