Principals and Presidents

Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Dr. Hicks completed his undergraduate degree at Carleton University in 1973. He returned to Halifax to study science at Dalhousie with the intention of entering medical school. Opting for graduate school instead, Dr. Hicks received his PhD in Physiology from the University of British Columbia in 1979 completing his postdoctoral work at Gifu University in Japan and the Max-Planck Institute in Germany.

For 15 years Dr. Hicks was a professor, first with the University of Calgary, then with the University of North Carolina. In 1996, Dr. Hicks joined National Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa as Group Leader and Senior Research Officer.

In 2001 he was approached by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan to take on the role of Science & Technology Counselor. Dr. Hicks was responsible for reporting what the Government of Japan is doing in the areas of science and technology; including new policy development. His audience consists of science and technology professionals from universities, agencies, the NRC, government scientists and private industry in life sciences.

Dr. Hicks, an accomplished public speaker, is multilingual speaking English, French, German and Japanese and is the winner of numerous awards recognizing research excellence.

Published in more than 100 invited and original refereed articles in various disciplinary sub areas, he has an outstanding record of research management and catalyzing R&D opportunities and has an in-depth knowledge of government with a wide network and national and international contacts.

Dr. Hicks also has experience in the organization, development and implementation of curriculum in a variety of disciplines and was invited to establish core course at state university in Brazil on iontophoresis technology.

Under his guidance and leadership, NSAC enrolment climbed each year he was at NSAC. The University moved its marketing activities forward to a higher level, the positions of International Student Coordinator and Manager, Enrolment Management have been created and administrative structures were streamlined.

NSAC celebrated its 100th birthday with a postage stamp and the creation of the Centennial Ampitheatre. The Atlantic Poultry Research Centre as opened and NASC re-established full University accreditation from the Canada Council of Animal Care. Research funding from external sources has more than doubled.

Dr. Hicks and his wife Keiko have one son, Brian.

Harold Garth Coffin was born on November 7, 1938 and lived in Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island. He graduated from the high school program offered by Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. In 1957, he was selected national winner of the Eaton Agricultural Scholarship from among the provincial candidates who were competing from all regions of Canada.

In 1958, Garth Coffin enrolled in the degree program at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and graduated as winner of the Governor General's Medal in 1960. He continued studies at Macdonald College of McGill University where he specialized in Agricultural Economics and graduated with a B.Sc. (Agr.) in May 1962. He returned to Prince Edward Island and was appointed Agricultural Instructor at Prince of Wales College, a position he held until 1965 when he decided to pursue graduate studies.

Dr. Coffin completed a Master of Science degree at the University of Connecticut in 1967 and was elected to Gamma Sigma Delta, National Honour Society of Agriculture. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1970 from the University of Connecticut He specialized in Agricultural Economics and his Ph.D. thesis "An Economic Analysis of Import Demand for Wheat and Flour in World Markets", prepared him for contributions to agricultural marketing policies in and beyond Canada.

Dr. Coffin was appointed Marketing Analyst for the Natural Products Marketing Research Centre for the Government of Prince Edward Island from 1970 until 1971. He then became the Director of Economic Research and Secretary to the Canadian Livestock Feed Board in Montreal, a position he held for eight years.

In 1979, he joined the faculty as an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the Macdonald Campus of McGill University and served as the Department Chairman until May 31, 1989. He taught courses associated with agricultural marketing, conducted research and supervised graduate students.

In 1993, he was given additional responsibilities as Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. His leadership skills were again recognized in 1995 when he was asked to serve as Acting Dean of the Faculty for a year.

He is the author or co-author of more than sixty-five publications in the fields of agricultural marketing, policy and trade.

Throughout his professional career Dr. Coffin has held membership in the Canadian Agricultural Economics and Farm Management Society and is a Past President. In 1992 he was made a Fellow of the Society. He has been a member of other professional organizations: the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, the American Agricultural Economics Society and the International Agricultural Economics Association, the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists and the Agricultural Institute of Canada.

Garth became bilingual and has shared professional expertise in a broad range of councils and boards throughout Canada. For example, he has been a Public Governor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, member of the Bureau de Direction for Conseil en Economie et en Gestion Agricole du Quebec, the Agricultural Committee and later the International Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, member of the Conseil des recherches en Peche et en agro-alimentaire du Quebec and the Canada Expert Committee on Agricultural Marketing and Trade for which he was the Chair from 1984 to 1987.

Marketing Boards have sought his guidance. In 1991, he was Chairman of the Committee on Criteria for the Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency and later was the Chairman of the Selection Committee, Contingency Quota Policy for the Agency.

His planning and policy experiences have led him into roles beyond agricultural marketing issues to contribute as a member of the Board of Governors for the Agricultural Institute of Canada Research Foundation, a member of the Board of Governors for John Abbott College, and a member of the Planning Committee for the FAO 50th Anniversary Commemorative Symposium Program held in Quebec City in 1995.

Dr. Coffin came east again in January 1997 when he was appointed tenth Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. The official installation ceremony was held in conjunction with convocation on May 2, 1997. His term as Principal began at a time when governments were cutting expenditures and striving to balance their budgets. Financial resources from all sources were stretched and yet NSAC was constructing additional space for aquaculture and had received the challenge of developing, in partnership with others, the AgriTECH Park at the former Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre campus.

As Principal of NSAC, Dr. Coffin had additional responsibilities relating to the interrelationships of NSAC with other organizations. He was part of the senior management group of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing and he was a member of the Senate at Dalhousie University. He was also the last Principal of NSAC before the title changed to President, Dr. Coffin.

Dr. Coffin and his wife Mary Catherine (Trinkie) Hooker live in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia with their three children: Judy, Brian and Patricia.

Academic Credentials: B.Sc. (Agr.)) (McGill); M.Sc. (U.Conn); Ph.D (U.Conn)

This biography was adapted from the original researched by Dale Ells and found in his history of the NSAC, Shaped by Service.

Leslie (Les) E Haley was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia on May 2, 1938.

He lived in Curry's Corner and attended high school at Windsor Academy from which he graduated in 1956.

That fall he enrolled at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and graduated with a Degree Course Diploma in 1958. During his second year at NSAC, he was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Students' Council. He continued studies, majoring in Poultry Science, at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, Ontario and received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) from the University of Toronto in 1960.

He was appointed Poultry Fieldman for the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing. The following year he began graduate studies at the Ontario Agricultural College specializing in Genetics and Animal Breeding. He completed the requirements for the M.S.A. in 1963 and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of California in Davis, California. He continued to specialize in Genetics and in the spring of 1967, he received his Ph.D.

On July 1, 1967, Haley returned to Canada and accepted an appointment as Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus where he taught courses in Biology and Genetics.

On July 1, 1970, he became an Assistant Professor with the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He was particularly interested in the way science was taught to undergraduates and participated with other faculty members in the Audio Tutorial Approach to teaching Introductory Biology.

His research activities included investigations on the genetic variations of oysters, lobsters and mussels. He served as a student advisor, supervised graduate students and had a key role in developing the Honours Program in Marine Biology.

During the eighteen years at Dalhousie, he had a variety of responsibilities associated with the Department of Biology, the University Administration and the School of Education. In 1976, he served as Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, a role he continued in addition to faculty responsibilities until he was asked to accept the Chair of the Department of Education in 1981. During a sabbatical leave in 1984-85, he examined the teaching of science in Australia and upon returning to Dalhousie taught Methods of Teaching Science in the Bachelor of Education program.

In 1986, he assisted the University for six months as Vice-president of Finance and Administration. In 1988, he was appointed Director of the School of Education, a full time position he held until his move to NSAC

Dr. Haley commenced responsibilities as the ninth Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College on October 1, 1989. The installation ceremony was held during Autumn Assembly on October 25th.

One of his first concerns as was to increase student numbers and a task force from the faculty was appointed and given this challenge. He encouraged the development of an aquaculture option in the science degree program and the addition of new space for aquaculture instruction and research.

He was one of the collaborators who developed the co-operative Masters program in Agriculture with Dalhousie. He promoted expansions in research activity and graduate enrolment. Related to this was the encouragement and development of several industry Chairs of Research.

As Principal, he represented the College in several roles including the Confederation of Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, the Canadian Agricultural Research Council, and the Senate of Dalhousie University.

On April 1, 1996 Dr. Haley was appointed Deputy Minister of the Department of Agriculture and Marketing. This was during a period of reduced funding for Provincial Departments. He was instrumental in consolidating the Department and regrouping the delivery of several services.

He retired from the public service of the Province on March 31, 1998.

In recognition of his service to the NSAC, the Animal Science building was named in a ceremony held February 14, 2002 the Haley Institute of Animal Science and Aquaculture.

Dr. Haley and his wife Loraine live in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia. They have two children, Elizabeth and Paul.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (Univ. of T); M.S.A. (Univ. of T); Ph.D. (Univ. of Calif.)

This biography was researched by Dale Ells and can be found in his history of the NSAC, Shaped by Service.

Herbert Farquhar MacRae was born on 30 March 1926, and grew up on the family farm in Middle River, Victoria County, Nova Scotia. He completed senior matriculation at Baddeck Academy in 1942. He taught high school in Victoria County from 1945 until 1950 except for the period of study at the Provincial Normal School in 1947-48 where he earned the qualifications for a Superior First Class Teaching License.

He then prepared himself for a career change by enrolling at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the fall of 1950. His wisdom and wit were readily appreciated by his classmates. He provided leadership in student affairs by serving as President of the Students' Council in his second year. When he graduated in 1952, his abilities as a scholar were well recognized as he won the Governor General's Medal and the Macdonald College Scholarship.

At Macdonald College, Herbert (Herb) MacRae became the President of the Student's Council in his graduating year. In the spring of 1954, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from McGill having majored in Agricultural Chemistry. He continued studies in the same discipline as a graduate student at Macdonald and earned an M.Sc. from McGill in 1956. With a CIL Fellowship, he continued study and research in biochemistry at Macdonald and was awarded a Ph.D from McGill University in 1960.

He accepted work in Ottawa as a Research Chemist with the Food and Drug Directorate of the Department of National Health and Welfare. A year later, he returned to Macdonald College, this time as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science where he conducted research and taught courses in animal science, animal products, and biochemistry. Again Dr. MacRae provided both leadership and scholarship and in 1967 was promoted to Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Animal Science. In 1970, his academic rank was raised to Professor.

Herb MacRae was installed as the eighth Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College on September 27, 1972, a position he held until his retirement in 1989. During those seventeen years he led the College through significant growth: student numbers increased, several programs were introduced, research activities expanded, buildings were added to the campus and in the 1980s, when the College was given degree granting status, new degree options were organized and introduced. These developments led to another expansion in faculty, academic facilities and the introduction of graduate studies on the NSAC campus.

He continued to contribute his energies to several regional and national organizations relating to agricultural education and research. From 1977 until 1979 he was the Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Agricultural Services Coordinating Committee. He was a member of the Canadian Agricultural Research Council from 1974 to 1987 and served as its Chair from 1987 until 1995. As Principal, he was involved in the national network with Deans of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine from across Canada. In this area he provided leadership in all the key executive roles. Following retirement from NSAC, Dr. MacRae became the Executive Director of the Confederation of Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Canada from 1989 to 1993. He was appointed a member of a three person task force to study agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador. He gave leadership to the NSAC Alumni Association as a member of its board and served as President in 1995-96. He was always a strong supporter of his profession and has memberships in the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists, the Agricultural Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society of Animal Science.

Dr. MacRae's interests and willing assistance included good deeds in the community as well. He was a member of the board for the Colchester Regional Hospital Foundation, and a member of the board for the Nova Scotia Agricultural College Foundation. He was a member of the Truro Rotary Club and served as the Club's Secretary, Vice-President and President. For many years he served as an Elder at First United Church in Truro. Always well known for his wise council and humorous insights, Dr. MacRae was frequently invited to speak by community, provincial and national organizations.

Educational institutions, agricultural organizations and Canada have recognized Dr. Herbert MacRae with distinguished honours and awards. The following list shows the sequence of major awards by date:

• 1978 Queens Silver Jubilee Medal
• Certificate of Merit, Canadian Society of Animal Science
• 1987 D.Sc. (Honorary), McGill University
• 1988 Fellow, (FAIC), Agricultural Institute of Canada
• Honorary Associate in Education, (A. Ed.), Nova Scotia Teachers College
• 1990 Distinguished Alumnus Award, NSAC Alumni Association
• MacRae Library at the NSAC is named in honour of H.F. MacRae
• 1992 Appointed Member of the Order of Canada, (C.M.)
• Awarded Commemorative Medal -125 Anniversary of Confederation
• 1994 Inducted into Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame
• 2000 Hon. Doctorate, NSAC/Dalhousie, Made Principal Emeritus, NSAC

His private life with wife Mary and four children (Rod, Anne, Christy and Mary) included numerous visits to enjoy Cape Breton's Baddeck Bay where he had a cottage. Travels across Canada and to Australia to visit children and grandchildren were important family events in retirement years.

Herbert Farquhar MacRae died in June 24, 2002 after a long illness and will be sadly missed by all.

Academic Credentials: C.M.; B.Sc.(Agr.)) (McGill); M.Sc. (McGill); Ph.D. (McGill); D.Sc.(Hon.) (McGill); A.Ed. (NSTC); F.A.I.C.

This biography was researched by Dale Ells and can be found in his history of the NSAC, Shaped by Service.

William Angus Jenkins was born on October 17th, 1916. He grew up in the community of Baddeck Forks where he received his early schooling.

He entered the Nova Scotia Agricultural College after high school and received his diploma in 1938. He then became manager of Beech Hill Farms in Princeport, Nova Scotia, for two years before continuing his studies at Macdonald College, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture in 1942. He majored in Poultry Husbandry.

He entered the Canadian Army and served overseas as an officer in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, North-West European Campaign, from 1943-1945. He earned the rank of Lieutenant. Following demobilization his professional career was interspersed with graduate studies which earned him a Master of Science Degree with a major in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University in 1947, a Master of Public Administration Degree from Harvard University in 1953, and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Harvard in 1961.

Most of his professional career has been associated with the public service of Nova Scotia. He first worked as a Poultry Fieldman and then as a farm management specialist with the Extension Services Branch of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture & Marketing. He became Supervisor of Farm Management and Associate Director of the Branch, and for several years lectured in Economics and Farm Management at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.

In 1961, he was appointed Director of Immigration and Land Settlement Services, as well as Chairman of the Nova Scotia Land Settlement Board. When the Federal and Provincial Governments developed projects under the Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act, he was made Director of the program for Nova Scotia.

In 1964, he was appointed Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, a position he held for eight years. Under his leadership the college went through a period of substantial growth in physical facilities, in programs and in enrollment.

Throughout his career Dr. Jenkins encouraged his colleagues to pursue a Maritime or Atlantic approach to programs for the development of agriculture and educational services. This interest in interprovincial co-operation led him into several regional committees and boards. In 1972, at the invitation of the Council of Maritime Premiers, he became Chairman-Designate of The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. From 1972 until his retirement in 1977 he was the Executive Vice-President of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council.

He was a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists and served for a term as President. He was active in the Canadian Association of Adult Education, The Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, The Canadian Society of Rural Extension (Past President), The Institute of Association Executives, and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Dr. Jenkins was a member of the Advisory Council on Adult Occupational Training for the Canada Department of Manpower and served as Chairman of the Canadian Council on Rural Development for the Canada Department of Regional Economic Expansion. His advice was sought in international concerns as well. In 1961 he represented the Canadian Economics Society at the International Conference on Agricultural Economics in Mexico. In 1964 he was a Canadian representative at the O.E.C.D. Conference on Agricultural Training in Paris. In 1970, he made a lecture tour of the Caribbean area under the auspices of the British Commonwealth Foundation. In 1971, he spent two months as a consultant on Agricultural Education for the Ministry of Education in Cuba.

He spoke to numerous local, regional and national organizations and he enjoyed travelling and discussing ideas about change and development with a wide range of interest groups.

As a tribute to his leadership, NSAC named the new central dining hall, Jenkins Hall, in honour of Dr. Jenkins in May, 1981. In April, 1998, the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists honoured Dr. Jenkins by naming him a Distinguished Life Member.

In his home community he was an active member of First Baptist Church, Truro, the Masonic Order, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Golden K Club of Truro.

Dr. Jenkins passed away on November 2, 2009. He is survived by his beloved companion of 66 years, Rebecca Jean (Reba) Retson, daughters, Catherine Faye (Chuck) Langtry, Ottawa; Heather Jo (Robert) MacDonald, Bedford; his grandchildren, Christopher (Corena), Ottawa; Marilayna Langtry, Ottawa and several nieces and nephews.

Academic Credentials: B.Sc. (Agr.), (McGill), M.Sc. (Cornell), M.P.A. (Harvard), Dr. P.A. (Harvard).

This biography was researched by Dale Ells as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

Kenneth Cox was born in Upper Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, on June 28, 1899, the son of Charles Creighton and Annie (Logan) Cox of the same community.

He attended the Upper Stewiacke public school. He registered at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and graduated in 1921. In the fall of 1922 he continued his studies at the Ontario Agricultural College and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Agricultural Option and Animal Husbandry elective in 1924.

In his senior year he was a member of the Ontario Agricultural College Livestock judging team which won the Canadian Competition in Toronto and placed second in the international competition at the Chicago International Fair. Individually he placed fifth in a class of 110 competitors. He later continued to study at MacDonald College of McGill University where he majored in agronomy and obtained a Master of Science degree in 1929.

Following graduation from the Ontario Agricultural College, Dr. Cox worked as assistant to the Superintendent of the Dominion Experimental Farm in Nappan, Nova Scotia. In this role he was responsible for research on cereals, forage, root crops and fertility. His basic research studies on the club root resistance of the Chignecto Swede turnip and the role of boron in the control of Brown Hart disease, were conducted during this time.

In 1937, Dr. Cox moved to Truro, Nova Scotia, where he accepted an appointment as Provincial Agronomist and Professor of Agronomy at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. These two roles were continued until 1946. In 1941 he was also appointed Vice-Principal of the College and Farm Director. He became Acting Principal in 1946 and was appointed the sixth Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in 1948, a position he filled until his retirement in 1964.

He was first faced with the challenge of guiding the college through the years fondly recalled by Dr. Cox as "the Debert Interlude." The complete teaching staff and all teaching resources had to be relocated to temporary facilities obtained at Camp Debert following the loss by fire of the College Science Building and all its contents in 1946. The adjustments were made swiftly and smoothly, at a time when large numbers of ex-military personnel were in attendance as students. Under the leadership of Dr. Cox, the college served the students well and moved back to the main campus with the opening of the new science building in 1953. After "the Debert Interlude" he led the college through continual growth which included the opening of the first residence in 1957.

Dr. Cox was a member of the Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturalists (now the Agricultural Institute of Canada), served as President of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists, Member of the Board of the Canadian Seed Growers Association, for many years Honorary President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture and an Honorary Member of the Senate Club of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, Past Master of Acadia Lodge No 8, A.F. and A.M. Amherst, N. S. from 1936 to 1937. He was made a fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada in 1960, and an Honourary Life Member of the Canadian Seed Growers Association in 1960. He received a Coronation Medal in 1953. His effective contribution to agricultural education was recognized by McGill University in 1964 when that institution awarded him an honourary LL. D.

Following the death of the Late Dr. Cumming he became Principal Erneritus of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Cox institute of Agricultural Technology was named in his honour in 1968. Dr. Cox gave leadership as an elder of St. Andrew's United Church in Truro, Nova Scotia, and in a wide variety of both community and agricultural organizations.

Dr. Cox married the former Dorothy Creelman of Upper Stewiacke; a son Donald died in 1955. Most of his retirement years were spent at 52 Dominion Street, Truro, Nova Scotia. He could often be found gardening and helping others in Agricultural organizations, or in church and community projects.

Dr. Cox died on August 15, 1994, at the age of 95 years.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (Toronto); M.S.A. (McGill); LLD. Hon. (McGill); F.A.I.C.

This biography was researched by Dale Ells as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

Charles Eric Boulden was born in Toronto, Ontario, on April 12, 1894, the son of Charles and Edith (Denne) Boulden. When his father was appointed President of the University of King's College in 1906, he came to Nova Scotia with the family and always called Windsor home.

Following graduation from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, N. S. in 1913, he registered at Macdonald College, St. Anne de Bellevue, P.Q. but interrupted his studies to enlist in the First University Company Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Soon after war was declared in 1914, he won his commission (Lieutenancy) in the field in 1916 while serving with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was very severely wounded and invalided home in 1917. He returned to Macdonald College and graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Degree in 1918.

He was Assistant in the Department of Animal Husbandry at Macdonald College in 1918-19 and was Supervisor of Re-Educational Classes, Department of Soldiers Civil Re-Establishment in 1919.

In 1920 a boyhood dream came true and he became the owner of Sunnyslope Farm, Windsor, N. S., where he bred Jersey cattle, Clydesdale horses, Cheviot sheep, and Yorkshire swine. For the next six years he was actively engaged in farming, but during this time he was much sought after to teach at short courses and as a speaker at agricultural meetings.

When the Nova Scotia Extension Service was organized in 1926, he was appointed Agricultural Representative with headquarters at Windsor, N.S., serving Hants County and at times areas of some adjoining counties. From 1931 to 1934 he was Assistant Director of Extension Services and from 1935 to 1940 served as Superintendent of Exhibitions and Agricultural Associations, Truro, N. S.

From 1941 to 1946 he held the dual positions of Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Provincial Animal Husbandman. During this time he taught Animal Husbandry at the College and was one of the first to give formal lectures in Farm Management at that institution. In 1946 he was granted leave of absence due to ill health.

He took an active part in the formation of the Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturalists (now the Agricultural Institute of Canada), was a charter member and was elected a Fellow in 1948.

While he served with distinction in the several positions held during his professional career, his forte was as an extension field worker. He loved meeting people and was never happier than when he was visiting farmers at their homes or meeting them at agricultural meetings.

A visit to Sunnyslope Farm was an experience that passed all too quickly. He was a wonderful host. Guests were made welcome and entertained royally.

Mr. Boulden was a member of Christ Church of England, Windsor, N. S. where he served as a Warden.

He was a strong supporter of the Great War Veterans' Association and later the Canadian Legion. His professional duties prevented him from accepting office, but in 1949 he was elected Honorary President of the Hants County Branch of the Canadian Legion, the first comrade to receive that high award, and it was his great pride.

When ill health forced him to relinquish office, he retired to Sunnyslope Farm. He died on January 30, 1955, and was laid to rest in Maplewood Cemetery, Windsor, N. S.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (McGill), F.A.I.C

This biography was researched by Dale Ells as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

Leslie Cleveland Harlow was born in Lockeport, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia on October 25, 1872, where he received his early education. After graduation from the Normal School in Truro, he taught for several years in Great Village. In 1896 he entered Cornell University from which he received the degrees Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Bachelor of Science.

He continued his teaching career as Professor of Chemistry at the Normal School in Truro from 1902 to 1913. In 1906 he was appointed Professor of Chemistry and Soils and Provincial Chemist at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, a position he held until his retirement in October 1941. In addition to these duties, he served as Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College for the academic year 1940-41.

At both colleges he was considered to be an able teacher, and was well respected by his students. He was also recognized for his contributions to Nova Scotia agriculture. As Provincial Chemist he was prominent in promoting the use of limestone on Nova Scotia soils. He was one of the first agriculturists in Canada to promote its use and became fondly known to many agricultural workers as "Mr. Limestone", and to his students as "the Calcium Kid".

After his retirement in 1941, he compiled a report on the soil survey work initiated under his direction in 1934. In recognition of his work in education and agriculture, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Acadia University in 1944. Dr. Harlow's name is remembered at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College where one of the buildings, Harlow Institute, was named in his honour in 1957.

His private life was as credible as his professional career. He was a devoted family man, married with five children. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Truro, where he served as Sunday School Superintendent and in 1925 was made a Senior Deacon.

He was an avid supporter of amateur sport, a keen gardener, very active as a Mason, and at the age of 66 became an enthusiastic curler. Always physically fit, Dr. Harlow maintained his fitness by daily cycling to work when weather permitted and in the winter months he walked the four miles to and from his office.

Dr. Harlow died on January 19, 1952.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (Cornell); B.Sc. (Cornell); D.Sc. (Acadia)

This biography was researched by W.M. Langille as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. These binders of biographies can be found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

Lyman Thompson Chapman was born in Hastings, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, on July 18, 1897, the son of Alexander Ross and Minnie (Chapman) Chapman.

After attending school in Hastings, he entered the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, Nova Scotia and completed two years leading to a Degree in Agriculture in 1916.

That spring he was appointed temporary Seed Inspector for New Brunswick and later enlisted in the Royal Air Force (World War I), and served until the end of hostilities in 1918.

Following discharge from the services he registered at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario and qualified for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (University of Toronto).

Following graduation he worked on farms in Alberta and as temporary Seed Inspector for Northern Alberta including the Peace River Country. In 1922 he was appointed Sheep and Swine Fieldman, Livestock Branch, Dominion Department of Agriculture in Alberta and was in charge of the Boys and Girls Clubs with the Alberta Department of Agriculture in 1922-24.

On June 18, 1924 he married Margaret Hannah Bryden in her home city of Edmonton Alberta. They had one son, Lyman Alexander.

Mr. Chapman served as Assistant to the Superintendent, Dominion Experimental Station, Lacomb, Alberta, 1924-26.

In 1926 he became Associate Editor of the Nor-West Farmer, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and in 1927 Editor, a position he held until 1936. In 1936 he was appointed Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and served that position until 1940 when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (World War II). He was discharged in 1945 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant and returned to the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing as Coordinator of Services and occupied that position until 1947.

In 1947 he accepted an appointment as Associate Farm Editor, Family Herald and Weekly Star, Montreal, P. Q. Following retirement from this position in 1963 , he lived on and operated his farm in Hudson Heights, P.Q., until 1971 when he moved to 9670 LaSalle Boulevard, Ville LaSalle, P.Q. While on the farm he continued to write Chapman's Corner and feature articles for the Family Herald and Weekly star as well as contributions to the daily editions of the parent papers.

While living in Hudson Heights, Mr. Chapman served as an elder in the local United Church. He was a member of the Waverley Lodge No. 82, A.F. and A.M. G. R. Q., and the Agricultural Institute of Canada.

Mr. Chapman died in May, 1980.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (Toronto)

This biography is mostly based on one that was researched by Dr. Kenneth Cox and is part of a collection of Biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. These binders of biographies can be found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

John Main Trueman was born in Point de Bute, N. B. on December 19, 1870, the son of Howard and Mary Jean (Main) Trueman.

He graduated from the School of Agriculture, Truro, N. S., in 1891 and qualified for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Degree at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 1895. In 1928 he was awarded an honorary L L.D. Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B.

Following graduation from Cornell University he was Assistant in Dairying, South Dakota Agricultural College, Brookings, South Dakota, 1895 to 1897. He acted as Farm Manager in Thorndale, Pennsylvania, 1897 to 1900 and Waverley, Pennsylvania, 1900 to 1903. He returned to Cornell University as Assistant in Animal Husbandry, a position he held from 1903 to 1905. He then was in charge of City Milk Supply Investigations at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, from 1905 to 1907.

He served as Head of the Department of Dairy Husbandry, Connecticut Agricultural College, Storrs, Connecticut from 1907 to 1913. In 1913 he came to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, N.S. as Professor of Agriculture (Animal Husbandry) and Farm Superintendent, a position he filled until 1926. In 1926 he was appointed the first Director of the Extension Service and served in that capacity until he was appointed, in 1927, Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, N. S., a position he held until 1936 when he was forced to retire because of failing health.

His wife was the former Clara Louise Huff of Ithaca, New York, U. S. A. They had three sons and one daughter; Howard Lewis, John Thompson, Albert William, and Louise Van Duyn

He held membership in the American Genetic Association; the Eastern Canadian Society of Animal Production and the Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturalists (now Agricultural Institute of Canada).

He played the violin, encouraged music in the home and sang in church choirs for many years. He played tennis in his younger years at Storrs, Connecticut, liked and read the standard English literature, was a Sergeant in the Colchester East Hants Regiment, won several medals, and was a member of the Nova Scotia team at the Dominion Rifle Match, Connaught Range, Ottawa, Ontario.

Dr. Trueman was a devoted churchman, a member of the Pleasant Street Methodist and later Saint Andrew's United Church of Canada, Truro, N. S., sang in the choir and as School Superintendent and as an elder.

Dr. Truman died on January 13, 1937 and was buried in Point de Bute, N.B.

Academic Credentials: B.S.A. (Cornell University), L L.D. (Hon.) (Mount Allison University)

This biography was researched by Dr. Kenneth Cox as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. The binders of biographies can be found in the Agricola Collections of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.

Melville Cumming was born in Stellarton, N. S. on January 5, 1876, the son of Thomas Cumming D. D. and Matilda (McNair) Cumming.

He graduated from the Colchester County Academy, Truro, N.S. in 1892 as a Gold Medalist and entered Dalhousie University, Halifax, N. S., qualifying for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1897.

In 1899 he qualified for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa, U. S. A., and in 1900 obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Toronto, with which institution the Ontario Agricultural College was at that time affiliated. In 1918, Dalhousie University, his Alma Mater, conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

From 1900 to 1905, Dr. Cumming was Assistant Professor of Animal Husbandry at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario. On February 1, 1905, he became the first Principal of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, N. S., a position he held until 1927. During the greater part of that period he also held the office of Secretary for Agriculture (1907-25). On leaving the College he was appointed Director of Marketing in the Department of Natural Resources with headquarters in Halifax, N. S. and in 1933 assumed the position of Statistician in charge of provincial agricultural statistics.

While at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College he taught Animal Husbandry, Agronomy, Bacteriology and Public Speaking. An accomplished public speaker, he seldom used notes or a microphone. His ability to communicate well was a tremendous asset in his role as a teacher. The writer well recalls his expertise as a teacher of public speaking.

Dr. Cumming retired in 1947, after more than forty years of service to agriculture in Nova Scotia. Dr. Cumming and Mary Alice Archibald of Yarmouth, N. S. were married in 1905, and had two sons and three daughters, Allison, Erskine, Jean, Katherine, and Mary.

He was a very active churchman and served his church in many capacities. While in Guelph, Ontario, he was a Sunday School Superintendent and he served as Trustee. He was Superintendent of the Sunday School and Elder in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Truro, NS, (after church union St. Andrew’s United Church. After moving to Halifax he was elected as Elder in Fort Masse United Church and served as President of the Men’s Club and Superintendent of the Sunday School.

On several occasions he was President of the Truro Canadian Club, also Vice-President of the Nova Scotia Association and Chairman for Colchester County of the Canadian Patriotic Club. He was a member of the Truro Golf Club and served as its president in 1911 and again in 1919.

Dr. Cumming was also president of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, Chairman of the Farm and Finance Committees at the Maritime Home for Girls and Honorary Vice-President of the Nova Scotia Tuberculosis Association, of which he was a charter member.

He was a charter member of the Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturalists (now the Agricultural Institute of Canada) and a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists.

In 1905 and again in 1907, he travelled to Scotland to purchase Clydesdale, Hackney and Thoroughbred horses, as well as other types of livestock. An inspection of the pedigrees of Clydesdales that have been in the College stud shows that he was able to select animals carrying the blood of most of the great sires produced in that country, the stronghold of the breed.

Despite offers of tempting positions in the United States, Central and Western Canada he chose to remain in Nova Scotia, a province for which he had a great love.

The administration building (Cumming Hall) at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College was named in his honor and his photograph was hung in the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Atlantic Winter Fair, Halifax, N. S. on October 31, 1969.

Dr. Cumming  died on April 16, 1969, and was buried in Camp Hill Cemetery, Halifax, N. S.

Academic Credentials: BA. (Dalhousie); B.S.A. (Iowa State College) B.S.A. (University of Toronto); LL. D. (Hon.)(Dalhousie)

This biography was researched and written by Kenneth Cox as part of a collection of biographies prepared by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. The binder of biographies can be found in the Agricola Collection of the MacRae Library, Dalhousie Agriculture Campus.