Susan B. Ganong
Encyclopedia
Susan Brittain Ganong B.Sc.
, LLD
(March 18, 1873 - April 29, 1961) was a widely respected Canadian
educator and proprietor of the Netherwood School
for girls in the Province of New Brunswick
.
She was born in Carleton, New Brunswick
(now West Saint John), and was known in the family as "Suzie" in order to distinguish her from her mother with the same first name. Her family moved to the town of St. Stephen
where her father and uncle Gilbert
founded the Ganong Bros.
chocolate
company. Susan Ganong is the sister of businessmen Edwin
and Arthur, and to botanist and educator William
. Her sister Kit married Howard P. Whidden
, Chancellor of McMaster University
in Ontario
.
Susan Granong graduated from St. Stephen High School and obtained her teaching certificate from the Normal School
in Fredericton
. She earned a Bachelor of Science
degree from Smith College
in Northampton, Massachusetts
where her brother William was a professor
.
Ganong taught school in her hometown for three years and taught science for four years at Halifax Ladies' College
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
. In 1903, she joined the faculty of the Netherwood School, an exclusive private school
for girls in Rothesay, New Brunswick
. At the time, the school was in severe diffuiculty and had less than ten students but as co-principal with Miss Ethelwyn Pitcher, she took over the lease of the building and implemented ideas and improvements so that by 1905 enrollment had increased to thirty-three students. In 1912, Susan Ganong purchased the facility, expanding its facilities further and increasing the School's emphasis on academic excellence to a point where the school gained a reputation internationally as school of high scholastic standing. She advanced the learning of music
and art
and arranged for musicians, artists, and art exhibitions to appear at the school. She also put in place a program for the teaching of the French language
, a pioneering effort in a very English institution designed to develop an understanding between Canada's two founding cultures. https://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/dspace/bitstream/10219/187/8/New%20Brunswick.pdf
Outside of her school, Ganong was active in the YWCA
organization and the New Brunswick Museum
. In 1943, she received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of New Brunswick
as an acknowledgment of her substantial contributions to education in the province of New Brunswick. After leading the Netherwood School for forty-one years, in 1944 Dr. Ganong sold the institution to the Netherwood Foundation Limited. Although retired, she resided in her cottage on the school's grounds for the remainder of her life. In 1952, she published A Sketch of Life at Netherwood, the Rothesay School for Girls.
Susan Ganong died on April 29, 1961 in Rothesay and was buried with family members in the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery
. The Netherwood School offers the Dr. Susan B. Ganong Memorial Scholarship and the Susan B. Ganong Theater, built in 1997, was named in her memory. Her portrait by Kenneth Forbes
hangs in the dining hall at the school.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
(March 18, 1873 - April 29, 1961) was a widely respected Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
educator and proprietor of the Netherwood School
Rothesay Netherwood School
Rothesay Netherwood School is an Atlantic Canadian, independent day and boarding university-preparatory school for grades 6-12 located in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada. It has been an International Baccalaureate World School since April 2007...
for girls in the Province of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
She was born in Carleton, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
(now West Saint John), and was known in the family as "Suzie" in order to distinguish her from her mother with the same first name. Her family moved to the town of St. Stephen
St. Stephen, New Brunswick
St. Stephen is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, situated on the east bank of the St. Croix River at .-Climate:...
where her father and uncle Gilbert
Gilbert Ganong
Gilbert White Ganong was a Canadian politician, the 14th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and co-founder of Ganong Bros. Limited, candy makers in the town of St...
founded the Ganong Bros.
Ganong Bros.
Ganong Bros., Limited is Canada's oldest candy company; it was founded by James and Gilbert Ganong in 1873 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick where it is based to this day. The primary product is boxed chocolates...
chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
company. Susan Ganong is the sister of businessmen Edwin
J. Edwin Ganong
James Edwin Ganong was a Canadian businessman. Known as Edwin, he was born in Boston, Massachusetts where his Canadian parents had relatives. The son of James H. Ganong and Susan E. Brittain, he is the brother of Susie, Kit , Arthur, and William.His family returned to their native New Brunswick...
and Arthur, and to botanist and educator William
William Francis Ganong
William Francis Ganong, M.A., Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S.C., was a Canadian botanist, historian and cartographer. His botany career was spent mainly as a professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts...
. Her sister Kit married Howard P. Whidden
Howard P. Whidden
Howard Primrose Whidden was a Canadian churchman, member of Parliament, educator, scholar and editor of Canadian Baptist....
, Chancellor of McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Susan Granong graduated from St. Stephen High School and obtained her teaching certificate from the Normal School
New Brunswick Teachers' College
The New Brunswick Teachers' College was a normal school in Fredericton, New Brunswick which granted teaching certificates.It was founded on February 10, 1848 as the Provincial Normal School with Joseph Marshall de Brett Maréchal, Baron d'Avray as the first principal...
in Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
. She earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
where her brother William was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
Ganong taught school in her hometown for three years and taught science for four years at Halifax Ladies' College
Armbrae Academy
Armbrae Academy is an independent, university preparatory, co-educational, non-denominational day school from Preschool to Grade 12, accredited by and a member of CAIS...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. In 1903, she joined the faculty of the Netherwood School, an exclusive private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
for girls in Rothesay, New Brunswick
Rothesay, New Brunswick
Rothesay is a Canadian town located in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is a bedroom community of Saint John along the Kennebecasis River.Located along the lower Kennebecasis River valley, Rothesay borders the city of Saint John to the southwest, and the neighbouring town of Quispamsis to the...
. At the time, the school was in severe diffuiculty and had less than ten students but as co-principal with Miss Ethelwyn Pitcher, she took over the lease of the building and implemented ideas and improvements so that by 1905 enrollment had increased to thirty-three students. In 1912, Susan Ganong purchased the facility, expanding its facilities further and increasing the School's emphasis on academic excellence to a point where the school gained a reputation internationally as school of high scholastic standing. She advanced the learning of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and arranged for musicians, artists, and art exhibitions to appear at the school. She also put in place a program for the teaching of the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, a pioneering effort in a very English institution designed to develop an understanding between Canada's two founding cultures. https://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/dspace/bitstream/10219/187/8/New%20Brunswick.pdf
Outside of her school, Ganong was active in the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
organization and the New Brunswick Museum
New Brunswick Museum
The New Brunswick Museum, located in Saint John, New Brunswick is Canada's oldest continuing museum. The New Brunswick Museum was officially incorporated as the "Provincial Museum" in 1929 and received its current name in 1930, but its history goes back much further. Its lineage can be traced back...
. In 1943, she received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
as an acknowledgment of her substantial contributions to education in the province of New Brunswick. After leading the Netherwood School for forty-one years, in 1944 Dr. Ganong sold the institution to the Netherwood Foundation Limited. Although retired, she resided in her cottage on the school's grounds for the remainder of her life. In 1952, she published A Sketch of Life at Netherwood, the Rothesay School for Girls.
Susan Ganong died on April 29, 1961 in Rothesay and was buried with family members in the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery
St. Stephen Rural Cemetery
St. Stephen Rural Cemetery is a municipal cemetery established in April 1856 at the town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada. The cemetery encompasses of land with approximately 12,000 burials. There are over 20 kilometres of avenues and paths.-History:...
. The Netherwood School offers the Dr. Susan B. Ganong Memorial Scholarship and the Susan B. Ganong Theater, built in 1997, was named in her memory. Her portrait by Kenneth Forbes
Kenneth Forbes
Kenneth Keith Forbes was a Canadian landscape and portrait painter.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Forbes was the son of John Colin Forbes also an artist. The younger Forbes had obtained a scholarship at the Hospital Field Art School, Arbroath, Scotland...
hangs in the dining hall at the school.