Osler Library gets financial boost

Catherine Paquette | When a director of the Harold Crabtree Foundation retires, it is customary for the foundation to make a donation to the charity of the individual's choice. In the case of James Darragh, a McGill Faculty of Medicine graduate, and former associate professor and dean, he requested that the $100 000 donation be made to McGill's Osler Library of the History of Medicine.

Dean Abraham Fuks presents an Osler plate to Sandra Crabtree, president of the Harold Crabtree Foundation, in thanks for the foundation's generous gift to the Osler Library.
Alan Forster

Darragh, who served for 18 years as a Director of the Foundation before retiring last November, said he wanted the Osler Library "to continue to be one of the world's leading libraries for the history of medicine." Co-author of the new book, McGill Medicine, Volume II, 1885-1936 (McGill Queen's University Press), along with Joseph Hanaway and Richard Cruess, Darragh said he has been interested in the history of medicine for as long as he can remember.

Both the book and the endowment - which will be used by Canada's largest history of medicine library to purchase rare books - were celebrated at a recent reception at the Osler Library.

Pamela Miller, History of Medicine Librarian, hailed the endowment, saying, "Researchers throughout the University use our collections that range from pre-printing press books to the latest electronic resources, but rare books are expensive. It is reassuring to be able to count on income generated by this magnificent endowment to build our collection."