Dossier f63 - Miller, Sadie Godwin

File consists of a recording of Sadie Miller. Topics of the conversation include attraction of Queen's for Mary Balanchuk; Stuart and Sandy Webster, distinguished Queen's graduates. Family connections with Queen's; hand-me-down stories of class fights, student practical joking. Mother as extension student during 1890s, unrealised desire to study medicine; granddaughter's career in medicine. Mother's English studies at Queen's, teaching career in Kingston; cousin as Queen's medical graduate (1904), now living aet. 97 in Calgary. Career as teacher, principal, following study at Queen's Faculty of Education (1920); extramural courses in French; English courses with Min Gordon. Teaching continuation school without degree; degree work at Queen's (1925-27), final study at Ontario College of Education. Offer to teach in Fort William for $2000 per annum; refusal to work for less than $2200 (much to mother's satisfaction). Queen's annual tuition $84 during subject's time. Excellent instruction, practical work, at Queen's Faculty of Education. Employment as teacher under friends of parents; subject's grandfather as Principal, Frontenac School. Stiff grammar school examination, abolished after WWII. Latin, French, high school prerequisites (1927); 3 years sometimes required to pass Grade 10. Mere two-page list of Ontario Grade 10 graduates aspiring to university; further two-page list of graduate aspirants to normal school; multiplicity of subjects required for upper school graduation, entrance to Faculty of Education; Faculty of Education Public School option. Kay Healey as helpful student. Kars school. Post-WWI inflation, shortage of goods. Depression period student hope of teaching appointments, no hope of university; Fort William staff-student parties, literary society, sports, salary; renewal of economic hope with preparation for WWI. Enlargement of classes during Depression, long wait for teaching appointments. Doug Fisher, Bruce Phillips, Bora Laskin. School newspapers: 4A Doukhobors, 'We publish the bare facts'. Success story of Herb Stewart, (Depression sponsor of Dr. Aiec Ross); Stewart's kindness as private travel agent in sending subject abroad. List of distinguished Queen's graduates; Dr. Jesse Graham as student following in subject's footsteps. Subject's scholarship to distinguished one-year Cours de Civilisation in Sorbonne, Paris. Queen's reputation for excellence in Sciences; graduate mining engineers in Fort William. Subject as informal student counsellor; AI Davidson, Jules Cross; Lamonte Kelvin; Dr. McCullough. Subject's decision to remain in Fort William till retirement; discipline problem likely to result from switching schools. Good student-staff ratio in former Queen's Honours courses. Tutoring for Dr. Alexander. Queen's sophomore-freshman cut-ups; incident at Cataraqui Hall. Brent Scollie. Old understanding that even off-campus, female students might not sleep under same roof with male students (sons of the house excepted). Absence of student drinking problem; prohibition; childhood memory of men reeling out of Kingston saloons on Saturday afternoons. Interest in antiques; local pieces of Meissen ware, more valuable than privately owned pieces in Germany.