William Osler, The Rockefellers, and the Montreal Neurological Institute

(Photos courtesy of the Rockefellar Archival Center)		(Osler Library Archives)
OSLER AND McGILL ^{_________________________________________________}
The story of the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University begins, strangely enough, on Jersey, one of England's Channel Islands, in the summer of 1919. Sir William Osler, on holiday there, dashed off a hand-written note to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in New York. St. Brelades Bay, Jersey Aug. 28/19 Dear Mr. Rockefeller Do you think the Board would help the establishment at Montreal of up-to-date Medical &Surgical Clinics? The situation is this: _ McGill has done well & the Medical School, for nearly 100 years, has been the leading one in the Dominion. The citizens have been most liberal & the school buildings compare favorably with the best in the United States. The two Hospitals are a.1.. but would need reorganization in certain particulars for the new clinics. I could have all details sent to you, if there is any possibility of the Board considering the suggestion. With kind regards, Sincerely yours, Wm Osler Excuse paper, I am by the sea of this lovely island.
Correspondence from the acting principal of McGill, Frank Adams, and from Mr. Mackenzie King who had helped the Rockefellers in their labor problems, ended by John D. Rockefeller Sr. sponsoring 5 million dollars for Canadian Medical Schools. More than one million of this was assigned to McGill. The announcement was made a few days before Osler died on 29^th December 1919, so unhappily he never heard of McGill's good fortune. Dr. Charles Martin, Dean of Medicine at McGill, 1923-1936 (McGill Archives)
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