Memorable Manitobans: John B. Mackay (1870-1938)

Cleric, educator.

Born at Kintore, Ontario on 1 July 1870, son of Hector MacKay and Christina MacKenzie, he was educated at Owen Sound Collegiate, the University of Toronto (BA 1899), and the United Free Church College (1902, Glasgow, Scotland). He won the Governor General’s Gold Medal and graduated in Theology with highest honors. He toured Palestine in the company of Sir George Adam Smith and a party of British Scholars. In May 1902, he was called to Crescent Street Presbyterian Church in Montreal and served as a Life Governor of the Montreal General Hospital, Governor of the McKay Institute for Deaf and Dumb (Montreal), a Charter Member of the Canadian Club of Montreal, and Chaplain of the Montreal Curling Club. In 1903, he lectured in Apologetics at the Montreal Presbyterian College and declined a Chair of Apologetics in 1906.

He was married twice, first in 1907 to Lelia Julie Sampson and second to Evelyn S. Jones. He had two sons and a daughter.

He was appointed Principal of Westminster Hall at Vancouver in March 1908, serving as First Vice-President of the Canadian Club of Vancouver from 1912 to 1913, President of the Association of Canadian Clubs (1914) and was first President of the International Theological Conference and Moderator of the Synod of British Columbia (1914). He visited Honolulu in 1910 and 1912, Australia in 1913, and California in 1915. He was a member of the Foreign Mission Board from 1902 to 1919.

In 1920, he was appointed Principal of Manitoba College at Winnipeg. When it merged with Wesley College, Mackay was put in charge of its theological faculty. He was an honorary member of the Kiwanis Club and Caledonian Club.

He died at his Winnipeg home, 22 Middlegate, on 16 May 1938 and was buried in Kildonan Cemetery.

Sources:

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

“Principal MacKay is dead”, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 May 1938, page 9.

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 20 March 2011

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