Collection MsC-183 - Hugh Johnston South Asian research collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Hugh Johnston South Asian research collection

General material designation

  • Textual records
  • Microforms
  • Photographic materials

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Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of collection.

Level of description

Collection

Reference code

MsC-183

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • [197-]–2016 (Creation)
    Creator
    Johnston, Hugh

Physical description area

Physical description

1.92 m textual records
55 photographs
7 microfilm reels

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Archival description area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Hugh Johnston is professor emeritus of history at Simon Fraser University, where he taught for 37 years. His book Radical Campus: Making Simon Fraser University was published to coincide with the university's 40th anniversary (2005). He joined SFU as a faculty member in 1968 and witnessed firsthand SFU's tumultuous beginnings. At various times in his career, Johnston led the History Department as chair.

Johnston grew up in south-western Ontario. He received a B.A. from the University of Toronto and attended the Ontario College of Education. Johnston went on to receive an M.A. from the University of Western Ontario and his PhD. from King's College at the University of London.

His teaching and research interests have centered on British and South Asian migration and settlement, eighteenth century exploration of the Pacific Northwest, the history of British Columbia, and higher education in Canada. Johnston is well known as an expert in Sikhism, Sikhs in Canada, and India-China relations. From 1992 to 2001 he also served on the board of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, a bi-national organization promoting scholarly exchange, and in 1995–1996 he was resident director of the institute's office in Delhi. In 2001 he was the institute's president.

During his career, Johnston wrote numerous scholarly articles and books. In 1995, with Tara Singh Bains he co-wrote The Four Quarters of the Night: The Life Journey of an Emmigrant Sikh. Other books include The Voyage of the Komagata Maru: The Sikh Challenge to Canada's Colour Bar; British Immigration Policy, 1815-1830: "Shovelling out Paupers"; and the History of Perth County to 1967 (co-authored with W. Stafford Johnston).

Custodial history

Records were in the custody of Hugh Johnston prior to their acquisition by SFU Library Special Collections and Rare Books in 2016.

Scope and content

Collection consists of research material gathered by Johnston for his book "The Voyage of the Komagata Maru: The Sikh Challenge to Canada's Colour Bar" (1979; 1989) and subsequent articles and books about Sikhs in Canada, including (with Tara Singh Bains) "The Four Quarters of the Night: The Life-Journey of an Emigrant Sikh" (1995) and "Jewels of the Qila: The Remarkable Story of an Indo-Canadian Family" (2011). Records in the collection are primarily of photocopied and microfilmed material from archival material held by institutions, newspapers and journals, and notes and drafts.

Collection is divided into the following eleven series: Articles (1988–2016); "The voyage of the Komagata Maru" draft manuscripts (1977–1978); Finding aids, bibliography and essays on sources (1975–1991); Archival documents and research notes ([197-–before 2011]); Official sources files ([1975–after 1996]); Biographical and autobiographical sources files ([197-–198-?]); Individual files (1988–1993); Research studies files ([ca. 1980]–1988); Scholarly articles ([197-]–2000); Periodicals and pamphlets ([198-?]–2014); and Newspaper clippings ([197-]–2014).

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Records were donated to SFU Library Special Collections and Rare Books in 2016.

Arrangement

The archivist arranged materials based on classifications and a file list provided by Hugh Johnston. Creator's original order was maintained. Books donated by Hugh Johnston have been catalogued and linked to MsC 183 in their catalogue records.

Language of material

  • English
  • Punjabi

Script of material

Location of originals

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Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Finding aids

Generated finding aid

Associated materials

Related material can be found in the Hugh Johnston fonds, F-223, at SFU Archives.

Related materials

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

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Status

Published

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Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Created July, 2017. (SS)

Language of description

  • English

Script of description

Sources

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