McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Wilder Penfield Diary, Nov 1969 to Dec 1969
General material designation
- Textual record
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File
Repository
Reference code
CA OSLER P142-Diaries-Personal-21
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Physical description
1.6 cm of textual records
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Name of creator
(1891-1976)
Biographical history
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.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The file contains the diary of Wilder Penfield for November 1969 to likely January 1971 (the last entry is labelled as January 15 1970, out of sync with previous entries). The diary documents Penfield’s award and work trips, including the Society of Neurological Surgeons award, the meeting of Humanism in Medicine and reunion with other last pupils of Osler, the honorary degree for Doctor of Law, Erb Medal of the Deutsche Gesellschaft, and the award dinner for the New York Association for Research in Nervous and Neural Disease; world and Canadian events, such as commentary on Separatism and the Front de Liberation du Quebec; construction plans for the summer house; Vanier Institute of the Family; beginning thoughts on the writing of a history of the Montreal Neurological Institute; religious expositions; Helen’s health; reflections on old age and Sir William Osler; and the discussion of a new Principal and Chancellor for McGill University and his last Board of Governors meeting. Penfield has gone through and corrected his grammar and spelling or has expanded upon his initial thoughts, usually in pencil or pen.