Origin story – Biology professor proud to lead one of Canada’s oldest cultural organizations

Herb Schellhorn has a lot of explaining to do when he tells people he’s president of the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art.

He’s patiently done it dozens of times with long-time and even lifelong Hamiltonians. And he’s doing it again after sending out an email asking for help promoting the association’s upcoming public lecture. He spends just over an hour in his office on a Friday afternoon talking about HAALSA. It’s his first year as president and he’s made it his mission to raise the association’s profile on campus and in the community.

“It’s a very special organization,” says the McMaster biology professor.

Here’s how special. It’s among Canada’s oldest independent, not-for-profit cultural organizations. The association was founded in 1857, just 11 years after Hamilton achieved official city status and 10 years before Canada even became a country.

“That a band of pioneers, beset as they were with the difficulties under which a new country laboured, should have found time to meet from time to time, and even contribute themselves to their scientific and literary discussions, speaks well for their character,” said associate president Dr. J.H. Holbrook and secretary John A.M. Galilee during HAALSA’s 75^th annual general meeting.

“Picture to yourself a town of 20,000 to 25,000 inhabitants, a nice little town 75 years ago; everybody knew everybody else,” added honorary president W.A. Child. “It was not a highly educated town, possibly we would say it was a trifle crude.”

Rev. W. Ormiston served as the first president. “The halo that rested upon the brow of most Scottish clergymen at that day shone very brightly upon his,” said Child. “He was considered a very splendid and remarkable man, one of the most distinguished men of the past.”

The association’s second president – Dr. John Rae – was the Arctic explorer who discovered the fate of the Franklin expedition.

Association members were early advocates and enthusiastic champions of the Hamilton Public Library, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Royal Botanical Gardens and McMaster University.

McMaster’s ties with HAALSA strengthened with the university’s move to Hamilton from Toronto in 1930. Schellhorn is one of many faculty members to serve as president. This year’s line-up of guest speakers includes professors Sigal Balshine, Zeinab Hosseinidoust, Daniel Coleman and Gillian Goward. The free public lectures – HAALSA hosts at least eight a year – are held at the Ewart Angus Centre in the McMaster University Medical Centre.

“HAALSA fills a need in our community that wouldn’t otherwise be met. We create a place where everyone’s welcome. You’re invited to delve into unfamiliar subjects. Our speakers tell captivating stories about the past, present and future. You get to meet and have conversations with other curious people. And you’ll learn something new at every lecture. I always do.”

The association also gives annual science, literature and art awards to local teens, including the Maitland Banting Silver Quill Award, the Young Poet Award, the Bay Area Science Fair Award and the Young Musician Award.

Along with raising awareness about HAALSA, Schellhorn wants to attract more students to their on-campus lectures and secure sponsorships. Right now, the association relies entirely on membership dues and donations. “We do great work on a shoestring budget. We could do even more with corporate and community support.”

Whether he has 10 minutes or an hour, Schellhorn knows how to make a convincing case for an association that’s fast closing in on it 170^th anniversary. The next public lecture on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. will feature Gillian Goward, Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Science, delivering a talk on lithium-ion battery technologies.