Fonds F1059 - Herbert James Symington fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

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Herbert James Symington fonds

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Fonds

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Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1956-1965 (Creation)
    Creator
    Symington, Herbert James

Physical description area

Physical description

0.35 m of textual records, 99 photographs : b&w, 2 artifacts

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1881-1965)

Biographical history

Herbert J. Symington (1881-1965) was born in Sarnia, Ontario. He attended Sarnia Collegiate, the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. Graduating in 1905, he went to Winnipeg and, in the same year, was called to the Manitoba bar. After serving a brief apprenticeship he began his own practice. From 1906 to 1909 he was the solicitor for the Grand Trunk Railway. He became a railway and freight rates expert, representing all the western provinces in freight rate cases. In 1918 he became a King's Counsel. In 1929 he accepted an an offer to move to Montreal and become vice-president and general counsel of Royal Securities and a director of a number of other large industrial enterprises. In 1936 he was appointed a director of the Canadian National Railways, and in 1937 became a director of Trans-Canada Air Lines where, in 1941, he took over the presidency. In 1947 Symington resigned after six years as the president of TCA, although he remained on the Board of Directors. He had been a director of the C.N.R. for twenty-one years when he resigned in 1957. In 1956 he was appointed to the Canadian Privy Council, an honour rarely bestowed outside the Cabinet. He died in 1965.

Custodial history

Scope and content

The fonds consists of correspondence and news clippings mainly concerning H.J. Symington's retirement as president of Trans-Canada Air Lines, as a director of Canadian National Railways and as Chairman of the Board of Price Brothers and Company Limited. Also includes correspondence from Symington to Fay Christie during their courtship (1908-1910), a press release about Symington handwritten by Louis St-Laurent, and a certificate signed by King George VI. The proceedings and arrangements for the funeral of William Lyon Mackenzie King and lifetime gold passes for CN Rail and Trans-Canada Air Lines are also included. This fonds contains the following series: Correspondence (1908-1965), Subject Files (1925-1965), and Photographs (1948-1962).

Notes area

Physical condition

Good

Immediate source of acquisition

Donated by Mrs. W.R. Eakin, 1967 and Gael Eakin, 2004.

Arrangement

The first accession has been placed at the beginning of the first box, with the second accession beginning immediately afterward.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

3254

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Open

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Some material must be attributed to Trans-Canada Air Lines or Canadian National Railways. Check the back of photos before any use.

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No further accruals are expected

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Location (use this to request the file)

  • Shelf: 3254