IODE Canada
IODE WAR MEMORIAL SCHOLARS
VOLUME II
1945 - 1990
From FOR THE FALLEN:
They went with songs to the battle, they were young
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the Foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
These words written by Laurence Binyon in 1914 convey to some extent the depth of emotion felt by the members of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, as IODE was known at that time, when Canada counted her war dead, some sixty thousand of her young men in 1919.
As the war of 1914 - 18 drew to a close, members of the organization began to realize that a memorial, other than one of stone or mortar, should be their tribute to those who had sacrificed their lives.
At the National Annual Meeting held in Montreal in 1919, several proposals were considered and adopted, one of which was the establishment of the First War Memorial. The funds raised for this "living" memorial would provide bursaries in Canadian universities for sons and daughters of those killed or permanently disabled in the War. It would also provide postgraduate scholarships in a British university for a college graduate from each province for at least a year.
The War Memorial was enacted by a special Act of Legislation (Bill 8), of the Province of Ontario. A War Memorial Committee was established, similar to that of today, which included the IODE Presidents and Education Secretaries from each Province.
The first bursary holders enrolled in university in September 1920 and the last in 1937. In all, two hundred and forty-nine bursaries were awarded under the FIRST WAR MEMORIAL. The Postgraduate Scholarships formed the permanent part of the Memorial and the first scholars appointed went to Britain in the autumn of 1921. Up until 1939, one hundred and fifteen scholarships were awarded.
In fewer than twenty years after the establishment of the Memorial to honour the men who made the Supreme Sacrifice in the Great War, war clouds were gathering. On September 10th, 1939 Canada declared war and Canadians were once again embroiled in a global conflict.
No awards were offered during the war years and when peace was finally declared the members of IODE decided to establish a SECOND WAR MEMORIAL to honour the memory of the forty some thousand men and women who lost their lives for Canada and in the defense of freedom. This Memorial was instituted by National Chapter by-law. The minutes record - "that if we work upon marble, it will perish; if on brass, time will efface it, if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but, if we work upon immortal minds, we engrave on those tablets something that will brighten to all eternity.”
Bursaries were once again offered annually. From the SECOND WAR MEMORIAL, two hundred and ninety-three were awarded, the last in September 1965.
For many years, the scholarships, the permanent part of both Memorials, were offered for different fields of study; today no distinction is made between the FIRST and the SECOND. The scholarships are offered to Canadian citizens on a competitive basis across the country and the field of study is open. Scholars may study in Canada, or overseas within the Commonwealth. However, they are awarded only at the doctoral level; the final decision being made by a National Committee of Selection comprised of five IODE members and three university professors. Since the end of hostilities in 1945, three hundred and fifty-seven scholarships have been awarded. From the inception, under both the FIRST and SECOND WAR MEMORIALS, four hundred and seventy-two men and women have been recipients.
The IODE offers these scholarships with quiet pride and feels confident that they fulfil an important role in the life and future of Canada. That the scholarships are highly regarded by the academic community, we feel, it is a tribute to those who established them in memory of the men and women who envisioned a better world, a peaceful homeland and were willing to take up the struggle to ensure its future.
We are more than proud of the men and women whose names appear in this volume. They have made and are making important contributions to Canada in the academic, business, political, scientific, indeed in every phase of Canadian life.
We are indebted to Barbara MacEachern, a past IODE National President for preparing the biographical texts and for assisting with the initial research. We acknowledge with sincere appreciation the contribution made by members of the War Memorial Committee.
Cecilia Furness
National Officer and War Memorial Secretary
April 1990
* National Annual Meeting mintues1946, (paraphrase: Daniel Webster 1782 - 1852)
