Wallace is the birthplace of several notable persons including those listed here.
Dr. Ernest Sterling Boyle
Dr. Ernest Sterling
Boyle
was born on April 1, 1900, the son of George and Marjorie (Weatherbee)
Boyle. The family were long time residents of Wallace. Dr. Boyle was a
graduate of McGill University. He served in the Royal Flying Corps in
1917 and 1918. He served in the R.C.A.F. during the Second World War
and was in charge of a convalescent hospital in Montreal. During his
medical career he served in Northern Quebec, helping with the medical
needs of the logging workers , as well the large Indian population of
the area. His medical specialty was Traumatic Surgery. He later served
as Corporate Physician for the Canadian Pacific Railways. He died on
July 10, 1977.
William Knapp Buckley
W.
K. Buckley, the
developer of many fine cough and cold remedies, was born here in
Wallace, N.S. The family later moved to Sydney, N.S. and eventually on
to Toronto where from a humble pharmacy he founded the Canadian iconic
business that bears his family name. His family was
extremely important to him throughout his life. He would send members
of his family poetry emphasizing the importance of family love. He was
also a great lover of nature and worked for animal welfare.
Senator
Alexander MacFarlane, Q.C.
Senator Alexander
MacFarlane, Q.Cwas born in Wallace on June 17, 1818. He practiced law
in Wallace for many years. He served in the Legislative Assembly of
Nova Scotia from 1855 to 1865. He was a member of the Executive Council
of Nova Scotia from 1865 until Nova Scotia joined with New Brunswick,
Quebec, and Ontario to form the Dominion of Canada. He was also one of
the delegates from Nova Scotia to the Colonial Conference in London, a
conference held to complete the terms of Union, 1866-1867. He was
called to the Senate on October 10, 1870. He served as a Conservative
Senator until his death on December 14, 1898. He died at his family
home in Wallace, N.S.
Dr.
John William Flinn
Dr. John William Flinn
was
born on July 10, 1870, in Wallace, N.S. Following his graduation from
McGill Medical School, he returned to Wallace to practice medicine.
After several busy years of practice ill health forced him to move with
his family to Arizona. His personal struggle with tuberculosis led to
his specialization in pulmonary medicine.He became an internationally
recognized authority. In 1903 he established the "Pamsetgaaf
Sanitorium" (an acronym for Pure Air, Maximum Sunshine, Equable
Temperature, Good Accommodation, and Food). He carried on his clinical
work and research there for forty years. He was a Regent of the
University of Arizona. He died in 1944 in Prescott, Arizona.
Dr.
Robert Stanley Flinn
Dr. Robert Stanley Flinn
was born in Wallace in 1896 but very early in life moved with his
family to Arizona. He was a graduate of Harvard Medical School. He
founded the Flinn Foundation, a private philanthropic organization
dedicated to improving health care in Arizona. The work of the
organization was dedicated to the work of his father, Dr. William
Flinn. Dr. Bob Flinn's recreational passion was horse racing; he was
later to be inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame for his role in
developing thoroughbred horse racing in the state. When he died on July
22, 1984, the Dean of the Arizona College of Medicine said "Bob Flinn's
impact on the State, its medical education system and the health of its
citizens will be felt for years to come."
Dr.
William Alfred Lawson
Dr. William Alfred
Lawson
was born in Wallace in 1874. He graduated from Dalhousie Medical and
Chicago Medical College. He specialized in diseases of the eye, nose
and throat. He served in several rural communities before moving his
practice to Dartmouth, N.S. One of his many hobbies included the study
of shipbuilding history. He died on January 11, 1942 and is buried in
the Wallace Community Cemetery.
Simon
Newcomb
Wallace is the birthplace of Simon Newcomb, a renowned mathematician, outstanding physicist and leading astronomer of the nineteenth century, who in 1906 was given the title of Rear Admiral in the American Navy. He was born in Wallace on May 12, 1835. It is recorded that he sat in the branches of an old tree to study the stars on summer nights. He was almost entirely self-taught in mathematics and astronomy. Simon used to carry his shoes to school "to save wear, putting them on only in the classroom." He lived his first sixteen years in the community of Wallace Bridge where, one hundred years later, in 1935, a cut stone cairn was unveiled to his memory with the following inscription "Marking the birthplace of Simon Newcomb, who, self taught in the face of adversity, became one of the world's greatest scientists. Migrating to the United States at the age of eighteen, he devoted his life to astronomy. For his contribution to science he was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London, made a foreign associate of the French Academy of Science and honoured by many universities and learned societies throughout the world." Albert Einstein paid tribute to Simon Necomb and placed him "among those few great characters of science whose contribution live for all time to come." Official Biography
