McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Principal James
File
1 cm of textual records
Born in Spokane, Washington, Wilder Penfield received his B.Litt. from Princeton University in 1913 and was a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford (B.A.1916). He received his M.D. from Johns Hopkins in 1918. Studying under Sir Charles Sherrington at Oxford, Penfield became interested in the brain. From 1921 to 1928 he engaged in research and neurosurgery at the Presbyterian Hospital and served on the Medical Faculty of Columbia University. Appointed to the Medical Faculty of McGill University in 1928, he was Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery from 1934 to 1960. An endowment from the Rockefeller Foundation enabled him to establish the Montreal Neurological Institute (M.N.I.), which opened in 1934. At the M.N.I. Penfield made many innovations in neurosurgery including a surgical treatment for epilepsy. He devoted much of his research to the study of the physiology of the brain, speech memory and sensation. Besides his numerous scientific publications, Penfield wrote two novels and participated in a large number of professional organizations. Dr. Penfield was a member of the Board of Curators of the Osler Library.
The file consists of correspondence to and from Wilder Penfield and F.C. James regarding project plans for a new wing of the Montreal Neurological Institute (plans, funding, reports on actions by the Executive Committee); arrangement of a fund for furnishing the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI); the death of Dr. McEachern and Dr. Kershman (including scholarships to McGill for their children); staffing (appointments, payroll, retirement allowances and incomes, report, rental fees for rooms, staff reorganization); the creation of the Lily Griffith McConnell Foundation for Neurological Research; Winston Churchill Trophy presentation arrangements; the MNI Annual Report (1952-1953) with correspondence questions about teaching; the potential enlargement of the stadium; leave of absence arrangements and Penfield’s resignation as Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Chairman of the Department.Correspondence to and from WGP and F. Cyril James, re: project plans for a new wing of the MNI (plans, funding, reports on actions by Excutive Committee), death of Dr. McEachern, correspondence surrounding retirement allowances and incomes + report and rental fees for rooms, arrangement of fund for furnishing the MNI, renomination to Senate Committee on Appointment of Doctors, staff appointments and payroll, scholarships from university for children of two recently deceased doctors (McEachern and Kershman), suggestion to invite Prince Philip to open the MNI that fall, the Lily Griffith McConnell Foundation for Neurological Research creation, MNI Annual Report 1952-53 and correspondence questions about teaching, leave of absence arrangements, suggestion of Dr. Preston Robb as Executive Assistant to the Director, potential enlargement of stadium - refers to moving entrance again, Winston Churchill Trophy arrangements for presentation to winners, announcement of staff reorganization at the MNI, WGP's resignation as Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Chairman of the Department