Toronto General Hospital. Board of Trustees

The TGH Board of Trustees was the Hospital’s governing body. The Board was first legally sanctioned in 1847 when it was incorporated by an Act of the Government of the Province of Canada (10/11 Victoria, C. 57). The purpose of the Act of Incorporation was

<blockquote>to establish a Corporation...for the better management and disposition of the lands and property...held in trust for the...Hospital, and to make...rules and by-laws for the internal management and regulation of the...Hospital.</blockquote>

At Incorporation the Board of Trustees was composed of seven members, jointly appointed by the City of Toronto and the provincial Governor in Council:

<blockquote>the Mayor of the City of Toronto...the President of the [Toronto] Board of Trade...three persons resident in...[Toronto], to be...appointed by the Governor in Council, and also the two Senior Professors of any School of Medicine to be hereafter established in...[Toronto], and in default or until the establishment of such School, any such medical men resident in...[Toronto] as shall be nominated and appointed...by the Common Council of the...City [of Toronto].</blockquote>

The Board of Trustees remained the governing body of the TGH throughout its history, although the Board’s legislated composition, duties and powers were frequently modified. For example, the Toronto General Hospital Act (R.S.O. 1937, C. 396, S. 2) specified that the Hospital

<blockquote>and the property, revenues, business and affairs thereof shall continue to be under the government, management, conduct and control of a board of twenty-five trustees, of whom eight shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, five by the Governors of the University of Toronto, and five by the municipal council of the corporation of the City of Toronto, and seven shall be elected by the subscribers.</blockquote>

Throughout its existence the TGH Board of Trustees was headed by a chairman elected from its membership by the Board. W.D. Powell (1822-1843), C. Widmer (1844-1865), W. Gooderham (1866), J. Macdonald (1866-1867; 1872-1875), J. Sterling (1868), A. Wilson (1868-1871), C.S. Ross (1876), W. Elliott (1876), W.H. Howland (1877-1878), C.S. Patterson (1879-1888), W.S. Lee (1889-1901), J.L. Blaikie (1902-1904), J. Flavelle (1904-1921), C.S. Blackwell (1921-1932), MH. Irish (1932-1935), E.C. Fox (1936-1945), N.C. Urquhart (1946-1965), T.J. Bell (1966-1985), A. Powis (1986) chaired the Board of Trustees.

Last Updated: February 22, 2012. Added to Archeion February 28, 2012.

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