Howard Primrose Whidden (July 12, 1871 – March 30, 1952) was a Canadian churchman, member of Parliament, educator, scholar, avid skier, and editor of ''Canadian Baptist''. He served as chancellor of

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...

in Ontario for 18 years to 1941, overseeing its move from Toronto to Hamilton. Prior to that, he was president of

Brandon College Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrolment of approximately 3,375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, ...

in Manitoba for 11 years. Whidden Hall at McMaster University is named after Chancellor Whidden, as is the Whidden scholarship at McMaster University.

Early life and education

Born in Antigonish Harbour,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, he graduated from

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly Undergraduate education, undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some Postgraduate education, graduate programs at the master's level and one at the Doctorate, doctor ...

. He then studied at

in Ontario, then did post-graduate work at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in Illinois.

Career

Reverend Whidden served as a home mission pastor in Manitoba and in

Galt, Ontario Galt is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River. Prior to 1973, it was an independent city, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the village o ...

..He later became secretary of the Baptist home mission board. From 1898 to 1900, he was a lecturer at McMaster University in Toronto, Ontario. From 1900 to 1903, he was professor of Biblical literature and English at

Brandon, Manitoba Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...

. From 1904 to 1912, he was pastor, First Baptist Church, Dayton, Ohio. Whidden was president of

in Brandon, Manitoba, from 1912 to 1923. In 1917, he was elected to the House of Commons as a Unionist, serving for one parliament. He sat in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

for four years as a member of the

Robert Borden Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was a Canadian lawyer and Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942), Conservative politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known ...

/Conservative led Union government of 1917 (which gave women the right to vote). He was appointed in 1923 sixth Chancellor of

, then in Toronto, Ontario; and served for 18 years to 1941, making him the longest-serving chancellor or president, to that time. In 1936, he received an honorary doctorate DD,

Victoria University Victoria University may refer to: * Victoria University (Australia), a public research university in Melbourne, Australia * Victoria University, Toronto, a constituent college of the federal University of Toronto in Canada * Victoria University of ...

(now Victoria College, University of Toronto)

Personal life and death

Howard married Katherine "Kit" Louise Ganong (daughter of James H. Ganong and Susan E. (Brittain) Ganong) born February 14, 1870, in

Malden, Massachusetts Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people. History Malden is a hilly woodland area no ...

. Her sister,

Susie Susie is a female name that can be a diminutive form of Susan, Susanne, Suzanne, Susannah, Susanna or Susana. Susie may refer to: Songs *"Susie", a song by Krokus from '' Painkiller'' *"Susie", a song by John Lee Hooker from the album '' ...

, was the proprietor and

Principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

of the Netherwood School for girls in

Rothesay, New Brunswick Rothesay () is a suburban town located in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. Located within Saint John's metropolitan area, it borders the town of Quispamsis to form the Kennebecasis Valley and is located along the lower Kennebecasis River. ...

. Kit Whidden died on April 4, 1959, at the home of her son in

Wolfville, Nova Scotia Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination d ...

, and was buried on April 8, 1959, beside her husband and daughter Susan in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto. Howard and Catherine had eight children, including Dr. Rev. Evan McDonald Whidden (9 July 1898 - 11 March 1980) and Howard Primrose, Ph.D., LL.D. (4 August 1910 - 12 March 1977), a senior editor of ''

Business Week ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...

'' magazine. He died in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, and was buried 2 April 1952 at

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries. It was opened in November 1876 and is located north of Moore Park, a neighbourhood of Toronto. The cemetery has k ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whidden, Howard Primrose 1871 births 1952 deaths 20th-century Canadian Baptist ministers Unionist Party (Canada) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Nova Scotia Academic staff of McMaster University Chancellors of McMaster University People from Antigonish, Nova Scotia Ganong family 19th-century Canadian Baptist ministers 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada

Early life and education

Career

Personal life and death

See also

References