Jarold Knox Zeman was born as Jaroslav Zeman in 1926 at Semonice, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. In 1945 Zeman attended the Charles University in Prague and primarily studied theology. In 1948, the World Council of Churches awarded Zeman a scholarship to continue studies at Knox College in Toronto. After finishing his studies in 1949, Zeman received a warning about the danger in returning to Czechoslovakia. Instead of returning home Zeman decided to stay in Canada, becoming a citizen in 1955 and changing his name to Jarold Knox Zeman.

From 1949 to 1955 Zeman pastored at the Czechoslovak Baptist Church in Toronto serving Czech speaking immigrants, while during this period in 1951 he married Lilian Koncicky of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan eventually having four children. After 1955 Zeman became pastor for an English-speaking congregation at the Villanova Baptist Church in Brantford, Ontario, while also working with Czech speaking immigrants in London, Ontario until 1959. From 1959 to 1968, Zeman worked for the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec Home Mission Board.

In 1969, Zeman joined the newly reorganized Acadia Divinity College of Acadia University as an associate professor, from then until 1991 teaching a variety of courses in Church History. While teaching at Acadia Divinity College Zeman wrote many of his works on the history of Canadian Maritime Baptists and on the Anabaptists, Czech Brethren, and Hussites of Reformation Bohemia and Moravia. In addition to these responsibilities, Zeman was heavily involved in a variety of Baptist conferences and organizations in North America including from 1979 to 1982 serving as president of the Baptist Federation of Canada. After retiring from his position as professor, Zeman founded and served as director of the Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies from 1991 to 1996. Jarold Knox Zeman passed away on September 18, 2000 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Dr. Sam van der Kloet was born in 1942 at Hiedenskip, Friesland of the Netherlands. After immigrating to Canada with family in 1947, the van der Kloets bought a farm in Petrolia, Ontario. Sam went to Queen’s University during this period and received at BA in Classics as well as a PhD in Botany. While at Queen's he met Carol Rae and they married eventually having two children named Julie and Peter.

After completing his PhD in 1972, Sam and Carol van der Kloet moved to Wolfville, Nova Scotia where Sam became a professor at Acadia University and curator of the E. C. Smith Herbarium. Dr. van der Kloet taught in the biology department for 29 years and during his career he was a prolific writer, publishing over 70 peer-reviewed works which built his reputation as an authority on blueberry plants and their taxonomy. Dr. van der Kloet also conduct many international research trips as part of his ongoing research including to Papua New Guinea in 1975 and on the Hiep Expedition Vietnam in 1997. He maintained strong external relationships including with the Archbold Biological Research Station in Florida and the Linnean Society of London, serving as a research fellow between 1978 to 1979 and becoming an elected fellow in 1998, respectively.

After his retirement as a professor of Acadia, Dr. van der Kloet continued his work as an honorary research associate at the biology department and as the University Botanist for several years. Dr. Sam van der Kloet passed away in Wolfville on January 26, 2011. He is remembered as an active community member, a respected instructor at Acadia,and for his contributions as a globally renowned expert on blueberry plants.