Société historique
du
Canada
IN
MEMORIAM/DÉCÈS
John Gamer passed awayonFebruary 3, 1996. He had been a member of the CHAsince 1947.
Robert S. Gordon. Few individualshâve assisted the historians of Canada morethan Robert S. Gordon, who died onNovember 30, 1995. He was an unquestioned leader, over three décades, in
developing methods to assemble and appraise the country’s his-torical materials. In addition,the Canadian HistoricalAssociation owes him an enormous debt for his management ofits financial
affairs as Treasurerfrom 1957 to 1979. Withthe capable assis tance of Marielle Campeau, Bob Gordon provided a
hard-working headquartersstaff for the Association atthe Public
Archives of Canada. He showed compétence and innovation in devising measures to restrain expenditures and increase revenues attimes when theAssociation’s future was precarious. He devot-
ed innumerable hours, chiefly evenings and weekends, to CHA affairsand could not hâve been more zealousifithadbeenhis pri-vate business. Bob Gordon was born in Japan in 1923. He grew
upin Poland andas a teenager fought with the Polishrésistance in the Second World War before he was captured and spent three and a halfyears in a German prisonerof war camp.
Fluent insixlanguages, he worked at the end ofthe Warasa lieu tenant in British Army Intelligence. Hecame toCanada in 1949 to attend McGillUniversitywhere he obtained anhonoursdegree in Canadian history. Afterwork at the archives of theAnglican Church and a briefstint as records manager withAlgoma Steelhe
was employedin 1957by the PublicArchivesof Canada. Herehe
spentthirty three years in the Manuscript Division, becoming its Director in 1965. A few months after his arrivai at the Archives Bobwas persuaded to undertake theduties ofTreasurer oftheCHA. Inaccepting hewasobliged to postpone indefinite-ly the post-graduate work in Canadian history that he had com-menced. Most of the developments which were designed to
improveresearch services at the Public Archives of Canada in the
next three décades were originated or directed by Bob Gordon.
As Editor and Director of the Union List of Manuscripts in
Canadian Repositories he visited most archives, libraries and muséums fromcoastto coast in 1962. The ULM was pub-
lished in 1968with a second édition in 1975 andsubséquent sup
pléments. Itcontainsmore than30,000 entriesdrawnfrom more than onehundred repositories. Gordon developedtheSystematic
National AcquisitionProgramto ensure a comprehensive scopeof sources ofCanadian history at the Public Archives. Other devel opmentsto improve research services included a program of
dis-tributing finding aids on microfiche and a diffusion program
todeposit significantrecords onmicrofilm in provincialarchives. He was the author of a definitive report on acquisition policyat thePublic Archives ofCanada. As an incentive to donorsGordon
developed under the auspices of the Canadian Historical
Association a System for the appraisal for tax purposes by a
National Archivai Appraisal Board and procedures for the évaluation of donations toCanadian institutions andcertifica tion bythe CanadianCultural PropertyReview Board. From its origin he served as a memberof the Appraisal Board. He was a
consultant to government departments on tax crédits and the
CulturalProperty control listandguide. Bobhad an internation
al réputation forappraisal and the détection of forgeries, andin
Canada he appraised such significant records as the Hudson Bay Company, Molson and Eaton’s archives. He was a
memberof manyarchivai and historical associations, a member of theCouncil of the SocietyofAmericanArchivists,Vice President of the Manuscript Society andSecretary of the Literary and Arts Archives Committee of the International Council on Archives.
BobGordon was the récipientofmanyawards for excellence. He received the Centennial Medalin 1967 and theJubilee Medal in
1977 for services to the Canadian Historical Association. He was appointed a Fellow of the Society of AmericanArchivists
and received an Award of Distinction from the Manuscript
Society. After retirement Bob opened the Autograph Gallery in
Ottawa where heassembled a collection of morethan 10,000 sig naturesof historié and contemporarypersonafities. Here, every January 11, he gatheredfriends together todrink aconvivial toast
“tothe memory of SirJohnA.” One of the most widely known of
Canadian archivists, Bob Gordon will be remembered with respect, admiration and affection bya wide circle of friends and colleagues in Canada and abroad and with gratitude by the
Historicalcommunity which he served with such efficiency, ener-
gy anddedication. He is survived byhis devotedwifeJakki and
children Stéphanie, Drew andAlexandra.
Wilfred SmithandDavid Farr
A.M. Keppel-Jones passed away in 1996. He had been a mem ber of the CHA since 1960.
R. David Hume died April 15, 1996. He had been a memberof the CHAsince 1957.
