hives-Bernard Vigod Papers

THE BERNARD VIGOD PAPERS


UA RG 265



Archives & Special Collections
Harriet Irving Library
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 7500
Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H5
December 1991




TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

A. UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

B. CARLETON UNIVERSITY

C. QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

D. LOUIS-ALEXANDRE TASCHEREAU

E. QUEBEC

F. PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

G. UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK
H.CANADIAN PROFESSORS FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST/CANADIAN ACADEMIC FOUNDATION FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

I. B'NAI BRITH CANADA - RESTRICTED
J. HOLOCAUST EDUCATION

K. POLITICS AND ELECTIONS

L. FRENCH IMMERSION

M. PERSONAL





INTRODUCTION


Bernard Leon Vigod was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, March 24, 1946. He studied History at the University of Manitoba, Carleton University and Queen's University (Ph.D Dissertation: "Responding to economic and social change in Quebec: the L.-A. Taschereau Administration 1920-29," 1975), and received his initial appointment to teach at the University of New Brunswick in 1971. He was promoted to a full professorship in July of 1984. His primary field of research was the political and administrative history of Quebec in the twentieth century, but he also taught courses in Canadian History, Quebec History, French Canadian Nationalism, and North American historiography.

Professor Vigod was a participant in many spheres of activity at the University of New Brunswick. At the time of his death he was the Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research. He had also served as the Coordinator of French Language Policy for UNB, and had been instrumental in both drafting and implementing that policy. Dr. Vigod was active on numerous Faculty of Arts Council and Senate committees, and served as reviews editor for Acadiensis. He also participated in the Faculty Advising program, through which faculty members act as counsellors for first year students.

A Jew, Dr. Vigod was a vigorous promoter of the well-being of the Jewish community on both regional and national levels. He served B'nai Brith Canada in various posts, including that of National Vice-President, as Chairman of the Atlantic Region Cabinet of the League of Human Rights, as a member of the latter's National Cabinet, and as a member of the B'nai Brith Canada District Administrative Board. A tireless campaigner against Anti-Semitism and on behalf of human rights, Dr. Vigod wrote and spoke on the subjects of hate propaganda and racial and religious intolerance. He was also a member of Canadian Professors for Peace in the Middle East and The Canadian Academic Foundation for Peace in the Middle East.

A supporter of bilingualism in general and French Immersion education in particular, Dr. Vigod took pains to become proficient in French so as to be able to teach undergraduate history in that language to Immersion programme graduates.

He actively opposed the decision of the New Brunswick School District 26 School Board to discontinue Early French Immersion in the Fredericton area, and was a founding member of District 26 Parents for Early Immersion Inc., a group which eventually took the School Board to court. Dr. Vigod was also a Progressive Conservative Party of Canada member and worked on behalf of the party at both the federal and provincial levels.

The activities and projects of Bernard Vigod as described above are well documented in this collection. It contains a significant body of his research materials, and either draft, final, or printed copies of most of his publications and papers. The one sphere of his activity which is not represented in these papers is his work for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, which he joined in 1985. Papers relating to his service on the Council were returned to that organization at their request.

Bernard Vigod was killed in an automobile accident on October 28,. 1988, and is survived by his wife Zena and two daughters, Simone and Michelle.



A Note on Arrangement and Description

In arranging this collection every attempt was made to adhere to the original order of the papers. The only artificial series is the final "Personal" series, where documentation of an obviously personal nature has been placed, along with correspondence and other materials unrelated to Dr. Vigod's main spheres of activity. The last tow files in the collection (files 15 & 16, Box 19) contain correspondence and other items which were found loose among the files and were unrelated to files near them, or were found in files to which they bore no relation.

File descriptions are not all-inclusive, but rather describe the type of documentation in each file. Items have generally been highlighted in a file description when they do not appear to be directly related to the general contents of a file, or where they might be of special interest. In this respect the file descriptions are quite subjective and researchers are advised to bear this in mind when using the inventory.

Most duplicate documents were destroyed. Any other papers removed from the collection will be documented in the University Archives Donor File.

Mary Flagg of the University Archives and Burton Glendenning of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick were most helpful throughout the arrangement and description process for their lucid observations and advice. Patti Auld, on loan from the Lord Beaverbrook Canadian Correspondence Indexing Project, was an indispensable contributor to this project, having patiently typed and revised the entire inventory.

These acknowledgements notwithstanding, I am solely responsible for any misjudgments in arrangement and description, or any other errors this inventory may contain.


Elizabeth Melanson
December 13, 1991



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Last Update: 95/09/06