Allan Memorial Institute
Encyclopedia
The Allan Memorial Institute (AMI; sometimes colloquially referred to as The Allan), located in Montreal
, Quebec
, houses the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre
. Although currently a respected psychiatric hospital
, the institute is known for its role in the Project MKULTRA
by the CIA. The Agency's initiative to develop drug-induced "mind control
" techniques were implemented in the institute by its then Director Donald Ewen Cameron
from 1957 to 1964.
The institute occupies the mansion built by Sir Hugh Allan, a wealthy Montreal businessman. This Italianate villa-like building, named Ravenscrag by the Allan family, is perched on the side of Mount Royal
at the top of McTavish Street. It is one of many old, large homes that dot the southern slope of Mount Royal in the Golden Square Mile
district. When it was still a residence for Sir Hugh Allan, Andrew Taylor
extended the east wing, 1889 and enlarged the stables, 1898.
Sir Hugh Allan's heirs donated Ravenscrag to the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1940.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, houses the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre
McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre is a network of teaching and community hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada affiliated with McGill University....
. Although currently a respected psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, the institute is known for its role in the Project MKULTRA
Project MKULTRA
Project MKULTRA, or MK-ULTRA, was the code name for a covert, illegal CIA human experimentation program, run by the CIA's Office of Scientific Intelligence. This official U.S. government program began in the early 1950s, continued at least through the late 1960s, and used U.S...
by the CIA. The Agency's initiative to develop drug-induced "mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
" techniques were implemented in the institute by its then Director Donald Ewen Cameron
Donald Ewen Cameron
Donald Ewen Cameron , commonly referred to as "D. Ewen Cameron" or "Ewen Cameron," was a twentieth-century Scottish-born psychiatrist who was involved in the United States Central Intelligence Agency's research on mind control and served as President of the Canadian, American and World Psychiatric...
from 1957 to 1964.
The institute occupies the mansion built by Sir Hugh Allan, a wealthy Montreal businessman. This Italianate villa-like building, named Ravenscrag by the Allan family, is perched on the side of Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
at the top of McTavish Street. It is one of many old, large homes that dot the southern slope of Mount Royal in the Golden Square Mile
Golden Square Mile
The Golden Square Mile was the name of a luxurious neighbourhood at the foot of Mount Royal in the west-central section of downtown Montreal, Canada...
district. When it was still a residence for Sir Hugh Allan, Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor (architect)
Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor J.P., R.C.A., F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. was a British architect and Conservative Party municipal councillor. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and practised architecture in Scotland and London before immigrating to Montreal, Quebec, in 1883, where he designed many of the...
extended the east wing, 1889 and enlarged the stables, 1898.
Sir Hugh Allan's heirs donated Ravenscrag to the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1940.
See also
- Douglas HospitalDouglas HospitalThe Douglas Mental Health University Institute is a Canadian psychiatric hospital located in the borough of Verdun in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is also a teaching hospital affiliated with McGill University...
- Royal Victoria Hospital
- William SargantWilliam SargantWilliam Walters Sargant was a controversial British psychiatrist who is remembered for the evangelical zeal with which he promoted treatments such as psychosurgery, deep sleep treatment, electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy.Sargant studied medicine at St John's College, Cambridge,...