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Memorable Manitobans: Eldon Franklin Simms (1907-1964)
Educator, school inspector. Born at Bath, New Brunswick in 1907, he came to Winnipeg in 1920 and attended Earl Grey School, Kelvin High School, and the Central Normal School. He began teaching at John H. Gunn School around 1928 then was the Principal of John H. Gunn School (1928-1929), Governor Semple School (1929-1931), Victory School (1935-1936), and Centennial School (1936-1940). In 1940, he was appointed a Manitoba School Inspector based at Portage la Prairie, serving there and at St. Vital until his death. He received BA and MEd degrees from the University of Manitoba, the latter in 1944. On 21 April 1930, he married Margaret Elena Thorne at Winnipeg. They had a son and a daughter. He served as President and Secretary of the Manitoba Inspectors’ Association, and founding member of the Canadian Association of School Superintendents and Inspectors. He was a member of the St. Mark’s Anglican Church and Winnipeg Canoe and Golf Club. In 1953, he published a history of the St. Mary’s la Prairie Anglican Church. He died suddenly at his St. Vital home on 26 July 1964 and was buried in the St. Vital Cemetery. Sources:Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library. Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics. “Church observes Education Week,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 February 1937, page 18. “Churches observe Education Week,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 February 1938, page 11. “Education Week to be observed,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 February 1939, page 14. “Eldon Simms new Inspector of Schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 October 1940, page 7. Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 July 1964, page 19. A Historical Study of Public Education in West Kildonan to 1959 by Raymond Ronald Bailey, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, 1966. We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here. This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer. Page revised: 20 December 2014
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