McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Wilder Penfield Diary, Oct. 1962 to 1965
File
2 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 contains the diary of Wilder Penfield for October 1962 to 1965. The spine is inscribed with Chinese script, while the front cover features an image of a man crossing a bridge. The first page indicates that the volume was purchased in Peking after the last was finished. The front cover is inscribed “Bequeathed by WP to TR + WF”. The diary details his travels to Peking, Moscow, London, Montreal and Rome and includes entries on his activities which include attending the Royal Society of Medicine meeting in London April 1964, attendance of the Stratford Festival, and his progress on the Alan Gregg biography. The entries are sometimes written on hotel paper and inserted. In addition, he comments on religious concerns, includes bible verses and verses of Shakespeare in the pages, and addresses questions of whether there is “something more important to do” in relation to what his future holds.