In April 1906 the University Corporation set up a Committee of Graduate Studies to organize graduate programmes in various departments and established a Graduate School awarding the Ph.D. degree. The Corporation Committee administered the Graduate School; the Committee's chairman also served as Head of the Graduate School. In April 1922 the Committee was replaced by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. The office of Dean of Graduate Studies created a relatively small quantity of records until the appointment of D.L. Thomson as Dean in 1942. The bulk of the records consist of committee minutes. Since 1974, the Deans of Graduate Studies have also served as Vice-Principal, Research.
DEANS OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY
1924-1928 R.F. Ruttan
1928-1930 F.C. Harrison
1930-1935 A.S. Eve
1935-1937 F.M.G. Johnson
1937 J.J. O'Neil, Acting Dean
1938-1942 J.J. O'Neil
1942-1962 D.L. Thomson
1962 S.B. Frost, Acting Dean
1963-1969 S.B. Frost
1969-1981 Walter Hitschfeld
1981- Gordon MacLachlan
MINUTES OF MEETINGS, 1906-1969
Minute Books of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, 1906-1963, 15 vols, 1.5 m (c.1-c.5)
The minutes record decisions on curriculum, cases of student eligibility and other academic matters and lists students and degrees awarded. There are separate indexes for the years 1906-1935. After 1935, the volumes contain indexes.
Minute Books of Committees of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, 1922-1969, 9 vols, 27 cm (c.3-c.5)
Separate minutes were kept by the following councils or committees: Arts Division, indexed, 1929-1938, 1 vol (c.4);
Science Division, indexed, 1929-1938, 1 vol (c.4); Executive Committee, indexed, 1922-1936, 1 vol (c.4); Committee on Research, partly indexed, 1940-1965, 5 vols (c.5); Professional Graduate Studies, 1964-1969, 1 vol (c.5).
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1906-1975
Office of the Chairman, F.D. Adams, Committee of Graduate Studies, 1906-1908, 1 vol, 4 cm (c.3)
The book contains copies of the outgoing correspondence of the chairman on such subjects as academic standards, examinations and approval of student theses. Indexed.
Office of Dean, David L. Thomson, 1942-1962, 8 m (c.3, c.6-c.13, c.107-c.116, c.117-c.122, c.124-c.127, c.143, c.144) PARTS RESTRICTED
In 1955, D.L. Thomson became Vice-Principal, combining this office with the Chairmanship of the Department of Biochemistry and the Deanship of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The few records created during Thomson's Vice-Principalship are interfiled with those of the Office of the Dean. These records fall into the following, sometimes overlapping, groups: (1) Internal correspondence with McGill departments, departmental reports, and external correspondence with organizations, 1942-1964, arranged alphabetically, in several blocks (c.3, c.6-c.13, c.124-c.127). Partially listed. (2) Correspondence with McGill departments, external organizations and various subject files. There are large quantities of records relating to National Council of Canadian Universities, 1950-1961; National Research Council, 1949-1961; the Royal Society of Canada; Selection Committees; Scholarships and a Report on the Graduate Faculty, 1931 (c.107-c.116). Arranged alphabetically in 4 blocks and listed. (3) Records relating to specific subjects and grouped separately. These include N.R.C. Postdoctoral Fellowships, ca 1954-1961, (c.143); Committee of Deans, 1952-1962, (c.144); and Scholarships and Fellowships, 1950-1966, (c.117-c.122). Arranged alphabetically and listed.
Office of the Dean, S.B. Frost and W.L. Hitschfeld, ca 1962-1980, 6.5 m (c.128-c.142, c.206-c.218, c.220-c.225) RESTRICTED
The bulk of the records are correspondence and reports from McGill departments, external organizations, subject files and records relating to the Dean's participations in committees, such as that on Academic Policy. The main blocks of these general administrative records correspond roughly to the years of Dean Frost's tenure 1962-1969 (c.128-c.137) and Dean Hitschfeld's tenure 1970-1980 (c.138-c.142, c.206, c.218). In addition, there are several small groups of records, mainly relating to departments. The records are arranged by subject and the majority are listed.
Annual Reports, 1959-1960, 1973-1974, 1.6 cm (c.123, c.145, c.116, c.144, c.146, c.147-c.149)
Annual reports of departments prepared for the Principal and for the Annual Report of the Faculty.
Student Academic Records, ca 1920-1974, 40 m, 72 reels (c.15-c.106, c.150-c.201; See Microform Inventory) RESTRICTED
Student files of the Graduate Faculty contain correspondence and students' academic records. The files are arranged alphabetically in several chronological blocks. Student files from ca 1920-1967 are also on microfilm (72 reels: see Microform Inventory). Except for the years 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 which are listed by individual name, the files are listed only by the alphabetical limits within each container.
Examinations, 1964-1968, 30 cm (c.1)
Specimens of examinations given in many academic departments. Arranged chronologically.
PUBLICATIONS, 1932-1983
Thesis Directory, 1881-1973, 2 vols, 10 cm (PRINTED COLLECTION)
Published in 1975, the Directory of Theses at McGill University gives names of students, titles of theses, department, and name of thesis supervisor. It describes all McGill theses that could be located for the years 1881-1973. A copy of the Directory is in the Archives' Reading Room.
Faculty of Graduate Studies Newsletter 1972-1983 (gaps) 2 cm (PRINTED COLLECTION)
Abstract of Theses for Higher Degrees, 1932-1939, 2 cm (PRINTED COLLECTION)
The McGill Index of Research, 1967-1969, 2 vols, 1 cm (PRINTED COLLECTION)