Donald Roy Wiles (1924-2022), amateur linguist and chemistry professor, was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada in August 1924 to Neil Douglas Wiles (1899-1983) and Hilda M. (Vaughan) Wiles (1896-1986). Educated in Amherst, NS, then Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick he earned a Bachelor of Science degree 1946, and Bachelor of Education degree 1947. Before his career in chemistry took him to Norway, the United States, and Western Canada, he spent the summer of 1946 visiting his mother’s family in Martin’s Point, Lunenburg County, NS Both sides of the family could trace their roots back to the “Foreign Protestants” who first settled Lunenburg. While there he recorded the German language spoken by the elders of that community and wrote down some of the German customs persisting there. After earning his Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States in 1953, he worked at the University of British Columbia 1955-1959, then joined the Chemistry Department faculty at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario from 1959 until his retirement in September 1990. He continued teaching occasional courses in chemistry until just before his death on July 13, 2022 in Almonte, ON.

Betty Peterson was born in the United States in 1917. As social activists, pacifists and Quakers, she and her late husband, Gunnar Peterson, were conscientious objectors during World War II. They also participated in the civil rights movement in Chicago for 23 years and in Vietnam War protests before leaving the United States to settle in Halifax in 1975. In Nova Scotia Peterson continued her advocacy for the peace movement, especially with the Voice of Women for Peace and Halifax Society of Friends (Quakers), and also supported causes concerning the environment, feminism, education, nuclear disarmament, and aboriginal rights. She participated in several out-of-province crusades, which were supported in part by Canadian Society of Friends and chronicled in national media reports, including a 1988 trek to Little Buffalo, Alberta, to support the Lubicon Cree Nation's land-claim fight and a 1987 trip to Goose Bay, Labrador to stand with the Innu protesting low flying military planes. Among her many activities in Halifax were participating in ecumenical movements for social justice (with Kairos), protesting the 1991 Gulf War, and promoting an alternative People's Summit (P7) during the 1995 G-7 meeting held in Halifax, NS. In the early 2000s she participated in public vigils protesting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was a founding member of the Raging Grannies, a greying band of activists who used street theatre to promote peace and women's rights. In most of these organizations Peterson had a major role such as organizing, planning, and keeping detailed records of activities, names, strategies and results. She died on February 24, 2018, at the age of 100, in Halifax, NS.

Wayne Ingalls was born in 1939 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He received a BA from the University of British Columbia and pursued his studies at the University of Toronto, where he received his MA (1964) and his PhD (1971) in Classics. He taught at Bishops University (1967-1972), and later moved on to Mount Saint Vincent University where he worked for many years as a senior administrator. His posts included Assistant Academic Dean (1973-1979), and Director of Research and Publications (1973-1979). This position changed in 1979 and Dr. Ingalls was then Director of Research and Special Projects (1979-1987), which included overseeing and developing the MSVU international development work. Dr. Ingalls also served as Assistant to the President for Research, Planning and Information Services (1987-1991), Acting Vice President Academic (1991-1992) and Interim Vice President Academic (1996-1997). Throughout his time at the Mount, Dr. Ingalls continued to teach and was Associate Professor of History and Speech and Drama (1973-1999). Since 1999 Dr. Ingalls has held the rank of Professor and will until 2005. Dr. Ingalls' research has ranged broadly, including early work on Homeric composition, then on institution building in higher education, especially in the third world, and most recently on children and education in ancient Greece. Examples of his research can be found in the following publications: Canadian Journal of International Development Studies (1998); Canadian and International Education (1996); Phoenix (2002, 2000, 1982, 1972, 1971, 1970); Echos du monde classique (2001, 2000, 1998); Canadian Journal of Higher Education (1981), Mouseion (2001), History of Education (1999), Higher Education (1995), and Transactions of the American Philological Association (1979, 1976). He has travelled widely in North America, Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa.

Lua Gavin entered as a postulant to the Sisters of Charity at the age of 16. Sister Lua Gavin taught biology at Mount Saint Vincent College and University in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She was also involved with the Alumnae Association. She retired as chairman of the Biology Department in 1979, and in 1982 went to St. Brigid’s assisted living in Quebec City, Quebec as a coordinator. Sister Martina Marie was her sister, also in the Mount Saint Vincent community.

Patsy MacIntyre attended the Mount for one year in approximately 1940, possibly taking the Secretarial degree. She was from Moncton, NB.

Michal Alexis (Rankin) Crowe was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Bermuda, England, and Newfoundland. In 1967 she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she worked as an Administrative Assistant for the Atlantic Institute of Education. While living in Halifax she also attended Mount Saint Vincent University where she graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in Sociology. While attending Mount Saint
Vincent University she was a member of the Senate Committee on Continuing Education and received several merit scholarships. Upon graduating she was hired as the Alumnae Officer (1977-1982), where she was responsible for facilitating programs, projects, and policies with the Alumnae Association, initiating and maintaining student alumnae liaison programs, producing a quarterly newsletter, and co-ordinating an annual fund raising drive.

Cynthia H. Plant-Hansen graduated from the Child Studies program at Mount Saint Vincent University in 1981 at the age of 27. She entered the program in the second year, as she had previous education and work related experience.

Catherine Sarah McGowan, daughter of J.W. McGowan, attended Mount Saint Vincent Academy and was later a student at Mount Saint Vincent College, Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1940's. In the summer of 1946 she was given the opportunity to work as a junior dietician in the Convalescent Hospital in Montreal, Quebec. In 1948 McGowan graduated from Mount Saint Vincent College with a Bachelor of Science. In 1949 McGowan was employed at the Department of Agriculture doing demonstration work in foods. Catherine later joined the Sisters of Charity and took the name Sister Catherine Joseph Marie. By 1997 Sr. Catherine was running daycare centres--the Jardin de los Ninos, and Centre Elisabeth Seton, and continues to work in the Dominican Republic.

Rosemary Eaton was born in England and received some of her early education in Geneva. Her father owned a tea plantation in Sri Lanka, where she spent some of her summers. During World War II, while living in Britian, she joined the Home Guard. She worked in bookshops and other retail positions. Eaton studied photography and did some photography in Britain, northern Canada, Quebec and Nova Scotia. and has had photos published in magazines. She later moved to Toronto and then to Cole Harbour, N.S. in 1966 where she took an avid interest in the area. Eaton has written various newpaper articles relating to Cole Harbour issues and began documenting the area in photographs and journals. She married Michael Eaton and did not have any children.

Robert Blackwood was born 29 September 1789 in Coldrain, Fossoway & Tullibole Parish, Kinross-shire, Scotland, the son of William Blackwood (1750-1812) and Janet Keltie (1761-?). He studied theology and graduated from Divinity Hall at the University of Edinburgh. In 1816 Blackwood married Ann Macara of Perth, Scotland, with whom he had nine children. That same year he and his wife left Scotland with the intention of settling in the state of Ohio. On his way to the United States, he stopped in Halifax, where he was persuaded to remain since there was a demand for Presbyterian ministers. In October 1816 he became pastor for the congregation of Nine Mile River, Gay's River and Shubenacadie, residing at Shubenacadie. In 1840 he left Shubenacadie to preach at Tatamagouche. Prior to his arrival in Nova Scotia, Blackwood had acquired some medical training and was known to occasionally treat members of his congregation. In 1852 Blackwood resigned his charge at Tatamagouche but continued to minister in New Annan, Nova Scotia at Willow Church. He died on 12 December 1857.