File f87 - Royce, Jean Isobel (III Jackson 17 June 1977)

File consists of a recording of Jean Royce. Topics of the conversation include full-time admission to Queen's after part-time summer courses: amusing drop in status from mature student to freshette. Male students' envy of newly-built Ban Righ women's residence. Town girls' custom of entertaining freshettes; Bishop of Ontario's scornful, militant daughter hostess. EnIightenment at Registrar's conference (mid-1950s) that Queen's was not reaching high school students effectively; consequent run of descriptive bulletins (virtual calendars; 5000 first edition) beginning 1953. Previous coloured-sheet advertisements with attractive photos of university buildings. Professor George Whalley's assistance with calendars. Women students' contribution during WWII, interest in Royal Military College ball. Scholarships avaiIable to students; Dr. Mackintosh's drive to establish Queen's on a footing with other universities; administrative fear of Queen's becoming a parochial university, establishment of Provincial Scholarships (open to students in each province; including tuition, cash, railway fare) in 'first big effort' to attract brilliant students from across Canada. Subject's intensive communication with scholarship applicants,in writing and in person. Understanding of American colleges as likely places for graduate work; Queen's aim to establish sound undergraduate programme, though compelled to encourage graduate studies in order to attract first-rate faculty. Numerous scholarships established by Principal Grant; Principal Grant's fund-raising drive; generous donors to Queen's (including R.S. Maclaughlin). Relaxing of Queen's purely academic standards of admission (without lowering. standards), reflected in altered nature of Marty Memorial Fellowship award: wider application of Marty Memorial Fellowship now, recognition of variety of students' interests, approaches, abilities. Disapproval of changing higher fees for foreign students, seen as limiting. Regret for dissolution of women students' Levana Society, recognition that merging of male and female student organizations also leads to new freedom. //Outstanding female presidents of Alma Mater Society, female Provincial Scholars; feminism as perhaps 'in the background of people's minds' in earlier days. Marty Memorial Fellowship as 'bee in the bonnet' of Min Gordon; concern to keep Marty Scholarship on the level of 'pure academic work', only altered to more open concept in 1970s. Cyclical nature of society's limiting obsessions: recent extremes in application of 'buy Canadian' exhortation; McGill University's former longstanding refusal to admit Jews (only think of the Jews' contributions to scholarship); Queen's former refusal to admit Negro students into Medicine; changing face of Canadian population from WASP to multicultural character. Subject's extensive liaison visits to highschools during 1930s; Queen's Saturday 'open house' programmes for students, dissemination of 'Queen's University, Kingston' pamphlets, speakers. Organization of Teachers' Weekends (high school teacher - Queen's professor conferences at Queen's) by subject and Monica McQueen, wonderful opportunities for acquaintance with Queen's philosophy and campus, discontinued after three years. Territorial competition of various universities, concern to extend customer boundaries. Special demonstrations, lectures, by various departments for benefit of Teachers' Weekend participants. Despair at recent illiteracy statistics, degradation of English language in hands of Faculty of Education.