W. Austin Squires

1905-1978

Dr. William Austin Squires was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick on 6 September 1905. He attended schools in Fredericton and entered the University of New Brunswick in 1923. In 1926, he was awarded the Noel Stone Memorial Scholarship and graduated in 1927 with a B.A. degree with honours in Natural Science and Chemistry. Squires attended the graduate school of Ohio State University at Columbus, Ohio and held a teaching fellowship from 1928-1930. He received a Master of Science degree in 1929 and began study for a doctorate which was interrupted by the Great Depression. In 1930, he returned to the UNB as an instructor in natural science, teaching botany and zoology at the first session of the summer school. He was also employed during the summer of 1928-1929 with the Entomological Branch of the federal Department of Agriculture on field crop pest research. From 1930-1939, he taught in the public schools of New Brunswick and became vice-principal of the Minto-Newcastle Consolidated School. In 1939 he was appointed curator of the Natural Science Department at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, an appointment he held until his retirement in 1969. From 1941-1969 he was Secretary of the Board and Executive Committee of the New Brunswick Museum and from 1968-1969 he was chief curator and president of the New Brunswick Museum. He was also a member of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association executive, and he sat on the Canadian Museums Association council. In 1963, he received an American Special History award for The History of Fredericton - The Last 200 Years. Among his other publications were: The history and Development of the New Brunswick Museum, The Reversing Falls Portage, The 104th Regiment of Foot, The Mammals of New Brunswick, The Birds of New Brunswick, Wilmot United Church, and A Naturalist in New Brunswick. In 1964 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UNB and in 1967 he received the Centennial Medal. He was made freeman of the City of Fredericton in 1978 in honour of his work, especially on the history of Fredericton. Squires died on 12 December 1978 and is buried in Fredericton.

Predominant New Brunswick Residences:

Fredericton

Archival Material

• William Austin Squires fonds
  ⌄
  Location

  New Brunswick Museum

  Website/Catalogue Record

  View Archival Record

  Retrieval Number

  102

  Date Range of Material

  1958-1972

  Extent

  5 cm of textual material

  Scope and Content Note

  This fonds consists of manuscripts and copies of Squires' writings including: Two copies of "Signposts of History" by Squires, read before the Fortnightly Club in 1958; a typescript of "Historic Sites of New Brunswick" by Squires under the auspices of the New Brunswick Historic Sites Advisory Board; a typescript of The Indians of Acadia by Squires (published by the museum in 1972); and a typescript of A Naturalist in New Brunswick by Squires, 1968.

• Austin Squires collection
  ⌄
  Location

  Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

  Website/Catalogue Record

  View Archival Record

  Retrieval Number

  MC245

  Date Range of Material

  1960-1980

  Extent

  40 cm of textual records and 1 video cassette

  Scope and Content Note

  The fonds contains a copy of the book, A History of Fredericton: the last 200 years with a commemorative inscription from the city and signed by Helen Squires; the page proofs for the manuscript; the original manuscript for the book; A. Squires' research notes; and a publication titled An Incidental History of Fredericton by W. Austin Squires (1975). The collection also includes a video cassette of the ceremony naming W. Austin Squires a freeman of the city (1960s) and transcripts for "The Changing Year", nature programs done for CBC by Dr. Austin Squires (1968-1969)