Tony's Festschrift Summary!

The month after I came back from the UK was chaotic as I planned for the 75th. Birthday Symposium here, while also attempting to arrange my miniscule area of office to function and the cramped research areas to function as well!

I can never thank Richard Hart enough for suggesting that I had a Festschrift for my 75th. Birthday. Also for his financial contribution to the Festschrift. In Honour of his support we named the Wednesday of Research Papers, The Richard Hart Symposium. I was very disappointed that he was unable to be present and take part in all the events. Luckily the weather was quite good and not too hot. Also the rebuilding of the research laboratories in Otto Maass did not inconvenient us.

I also express my deep appreciation and sincere thanks to Alain Lemaire and Cascades for their support of the Festschrift to celebrate my 75th. Birthday and 54 years of Research.

The generosity and kindness of Alain Lemaire and Cascades in this adventure was overwhelming, and impressed all the former Research Students, both Graduate and Undergraduate, from many Countries.

Alain Lemaire’s Opening of the Festschrift was given in his inimitable style, and set the mood for the whole event.

The whole Festschrift Event was truly amazing, much better than I ever conceived.

At the Church the Priest Fr. Keith Schmidt gave a stunning Sermon liking Research Directors and their students to Christ and His Disciples, there was an English Byrd setting of the Mass by the Hossfeld Quartet and a Recessional on the Organ of Variations on  Happy Birthday played by Frederico Andreoni, an Internationally renowned Organist. This was followed by a real Parish Celebration organized by Peter McNally, Sheila Garner and Lois Bydwell with Champagne, Somoza, Sandwiches, a Birthday Cake, Toasts and Speeches. I was almost in tears at the end. The Foreign Visitors were amazed by the whole affair and remarked if their Churches were like mine they might return to Faith.

Alain Lemaire and Cascades at the behest of Roger Gaudreault could not have made a finer start to the Scientific and Social aspects of the Festschrift: they gave us the Board Room on the top floor of Cascades in the Board of Directors Suite, overlooking the Roddick Gates and the McGill Campus! A great Tea was organized by Susan Button and the Cascades Secretary, Linda Denis, assisted by Myriam Francoeur and Brigitte Rivest. It welcomed the people as they arrived to register. When they were all settled I gave a Power Point Reminiscences of my 54 years of research, from 1956 at Queen Mary College in London England to 2010 at McGill. Heidi Muchal (Concordia) put in her CERMM Reminiscences Power Point, followed by Colin Baird (University of Western Ontario), Michael Hell ( Zurich, Switzerland), Roger Gaudreault and Roland  Trepanier (Optect Hawkesbury) and Alex Koukoulas(ANL Consultants, LLC USA): others like Soheil Manoli (CEGP St. Foy) hilariously entered their own snide remarks: it turned into a hilarious wildly funny two hours of fun!

Mr. Alain Lemaire, Cascades President and CEO introduced by Roger Gaudreault, then opened The Festschrift, with a talk about Cascades History and Cascades dedication to Research in the only Company financed R&D in Canadian Industry, and how they valued my contacts with them, and why they, and not McGill, were financing the Festschrift and the Festschrift Book.

Cascades then gave us the best Cocktail Party I have ever been to: lots of excellent Wine, chosen by Roger Gaudreault, and Canapés by Susan Button, and lots of emotional reunions!

 Wednesday the Scientific part of the Festschrift was held in the Old Chemistry Building in a room where I had lectured when I first arrived at McGill. The Richard Hart Symposium was financed by one of my more successful  Research Students Richard Hart, and waselegantlyChaired by Roger Gaudreault and was superb event. The Papers reflected my wide interests in Science, Engineering, Art and Publishing; the papers were all exciting and informative.

 The Coffee, Lunch and Tea, ordered by Susan Button from the McGill Food Services were full of good food and drink and allowed us to meet, reminisce and talk about the Research Papers which had been presented, surrounded by Research Posters on the Architectural Boards.

 I was thrilled that my First Graduate Student Dr. Colin Baird (UoW)gave a paper, and we had three other firsts as well: Stephane Jedrzejak (France) gave his first Lecture in English, while Emily Frank(USA) and Kevin Conely(USA), my Undergraduate Research Students, gave their first Oral Talks!!

 The Banquet at Le Caveau was a blast! After the open bar, as we sat down to eat  Roger Gaudreault suddenly decided to invite everybody to tell us about themselves: it turned into a hilarious Roast: everybody told of their lives and their time with me!! By the time Peter McNally gave the After Dinner Speech he was summing up! Susan Presented me with the Certificate and introduced the Whitehead Chemistry Project, and presented me with a hand written Birthday Card from the Principal Heather Munroe-Blum!

 Nobody wanted to leave or say farewell at the end of the evening! Roger drove my Son Chris and me home.

It was a very moving, emotionally and physically thrilling but draining three days. I can never thank those who made it so, enough!!!

On my real Birthday, Peter McNally, had a three-in-one party for all the June Birthday People we know, and I got another cake!

The Queen was in Ottawa for Canada Day, which I watched lazing around after the four days of Celebrations, physically and emotionally knocked out!!

Best Wishes,

Tony.