Standing Tall to Remember the Fallen

Elliott stood in the shadow of the stone structure. Both he and the building were the same age, but only one of them would withstand time. Although Elliott was losing this battle of advancing years, he was determined not to lose the war. In his hand, he held a list of names—the men and women from Acadia’s three institutions who died in conflict for their country. He could easily envision what must be done. The War Memorial Gymnasium before him needed more than a Hall of Honour. It needed a cenotaph, situated outside the front step, near the very spot where General Arthur Curry laid the building’s cornerstone. Now then, what should Acadia’s cenotaph look like? he asked himself as he stood there in the empty space. A sad smile came to his lips as Elliott remembered fallen friends and classmates. He considered the possibilities of a stone memorial and the deeper meaning of his quest.

[Fictional story created by the author.]

I often reflect and speak about the names etched on the stone memorials outside the War Memorial Gymnasium. Like Elliott, I too refuse to forget these names. But rarely do I bring attention to how those memorials came into being. I know that several people contributed to them, although one person had the vision to make it happen.

Robbins Elliott grew up seeing the War Memorial Gymnasium, a visual reminder and memorial of the losses of what we now call the First World War. He was born in Wolfville. His parents had deep connections to Acadia. His mother, Jean (nee Haley, a family with many Acadia alumni), graduated the Acadia Ladies’ Seminary before joining the Acadia Class of 1908 and obtaining an Acadia M.A. 1909. After taking Library Science at Simmons, she was Acadia’s Librarian between 1910 and 1914. She married Dr. Malcolm R. Elliott, Class of 1908 and D.C.L. 1948. He practiced medicine in town after graduating from Harvard medical school and as such was one of the Valley doctors who assisted during the Halifax Explosion. Dr. Elliott sat on the Board of Governors and was Chairman of the Board.

Their son, Robbins, graduated Acadia with the Class of 1941. He had been the editor of the Acadia Athenaeum from 1939 to 1941, so beginning a career as a journalist in Halifax made good sense. Later that year, he went into military service with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. Soon, he transferred to the Canadian Intelligence Corps as a Field Press Censor on the Western front.

A 2016 honours thesis by Acadia student Ryan d’Eon, available here https://scholar.acadiau.ca/node/2924, focuses on Robbins Elliott’s experience by examining primary source evidence preserved in the Acadia Archives. Elliott’s papers from the war include correspondence and diaries that were digitized by d’Eon.

Elliott’s connection to Holland is one of great interest. Not only was he in Holland at the end of the war, but he had plenty in common with Mona Parsons. I’m sure he recognized that coincidence. His interest in her life is reflected in the files archived at Acadia.

Mona had deep connections to Wolfville and Acadia. Her father, N.H. Parsons, was a Colonel in the First World War and trained Acadia’s students to be soldiers. Her brothers were officers in the First World War. Mona attended the Acadia Ladies’ Seminary. Her life took her to Holland, where she was during the Second World War (and if you don’t know this story, you really must read Andrea Hill Lehr’s book on this, more here https://www.monaparsons.ca/about). Mona’s second marriage brought her back to Nova Scotia and eventually to Wolfville, where she is buried.

Robbins Elliott retired to Wolfville one year after Mona died. He had lived in Ottawa and worked as the executive assistant for the Minister of Resources and Development. That position took him all over the world, meeting many interesting people. It may also have helped him understand the importance of completing the vision of the War Memorial Gymnasium—to add a cenotaph. His archived files reflect that Elliott set to work on gathering the information. He wrote a book called “Those Waiting Dreams”, published in 1999, which includes most of the research needed for the cenotaphs. Then, he found the financial support needed to make the memorials a reality where today they stand tall to remember the fallen.

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