MacMANUS, Seumas, Irish novelist and writer of short fiction and verse: b. Donegal, 1868. He was educated at a mountain school in Donegal and engaged in teaching. He soon became known for his prose and verse con tributions to periodicals, dealing with the tradi tions and folklore of Ireland. He visited America in 1899 and afterward his contribu tions appeared in many leading American pe riodicals. He has since made frequent lecture tours in America. Author of 'Through the Turf Smoke' (1899) ; (Donegal Fairy Tales' (1900): 'Ballads of a Country Boy' (1905) ; (The Leadin' Road of Donegal' (1900) ; Nights' ; 'Yourself and the Neighbors' (1914); 'Ireland s Case' (1917), etc. Among his plays are 'The Woman of Seven Sorrows); (Orange and Green' ; 'Rory Wins'; 'Nabby Harren's Matching,' etc.
McMASTER, John Bach, American histo rian: b. Brooklyn, 29 June 1852. He was grad uated from the College of the City of New York in 1872, studied civil engineering, and 1877 became instructor of civil engineering at Prince ton. In 1883 he published the first volume of his 'History of the People of the United States,' and the same year was appointed pro fessor of American history in the University of Pennsylvania. His 'History,' of which eight volumes were published in 1913, has be come a standard work. It covers a period reaching from the close of the Revolution (1783) to the outbreak of the Civil War,— less than 100 years, hut a crucial time for the shap ing of the country. The account of the forma tive time, the day of the pioneer and the settler, engages his particular attention and receives his most careful treatment. He strives to give a picture of social rather than constitutional and political growth; and tells the story of national evolution with admirable lucidity and simplicity of style, and always with an appeal to fact pre cluding the danger of the subjective writing of history to fit a theory. His other works are (Benjamin Franklin as a Man of Letters' (1887);
McMASTER, William, Canadian senator and philanthropist: b. Tyrone, Ireland, 24 Dec. 1811; d. Toronto, Canada, 22 Sept. 1887. When 22 years of age he emigrated to Canada, and after several years' experience in a large whole sale firm in Toronto commenced business on his own account. He was elected a member of the legislative council for the Midland division of Canada in 1862, and held this scat until he was called to the Senate by royal proclamation in 1867. He was prominently identified with many public institutions, notably as president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, member of the senate of the University of Toronto, chairman of the Canadian board of the Great Western Railway and became widely known by his liberal donations to educational and religious institutions. esvecially those of the Baptist de
nomination, of which sect he was a member_ McMaster University, Toronto, is named in his honor.
McMASTER, UNIVERSITY, Toronto, Canada, is controlled by the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. It came into existence through the gift of about $1,000,000 by the late Senator William McMaster, of Toronto, but it is really a development of educational work formerly conducted at Woodstock, Ontario. In 1857, under the leadership of the Rev. R. A. Fyfe, D.D., subscribers to the funds of a pro jected college secured from the Canadian Par liament an act to incorporate "The Canadian Literary Institute," to be located at Woodstock. This school aimed at coeducation and provided both literary and theological courses. In 1875 it secured affiliation with the University of Toronto. In 1881. through the liberality of Mr. McMaster, the Toronto Baptist College was instituted and to it was transferred the theo logical department of the school at Woodstock. The latter continued its literary work, and, without change of corporation, its name was changed • to Woodstock College. Toronto Bap tist College was affiliated to the University of Toronto in 1885, but as the result of a further donation by Mr. McMaster it was decided to establish a university to grant degrees in the "several arts, sciences and faculties," as well as in theology. A charter was secured from the legislature of Ontario in 1887, and all the prop erty and rights of the two separate corporations were vested in McMaster University and placed under the authority of the board of governors, 16 in number (exclusive of the chancellor), responsible to the Baptist Convention of On tario and Quebec. The control of all that pertains to the courses of study belongs to the university senate, a body made up of the members of the board of governors, a number representing the teaching faculties and others chosen by the graduates in arts and theology. The senate also nominates, subject to the approval of the governors, the chancellor and members of the faculties. Woodstock College, now a school for young men alone, and Moulton College, for young women, are academical departments of the university. Note worthy provisions of the act of incorporation are that McMaster University is "a Christian school of learning," the Bible must be in cluded in the course of study, every member of the teaching staff in theology must be a member of a regular Baptist church in Canada and all other teachers members of some "Evan gelical Christian Church" The first class in arts was graduated in 1894. The total number of students for the 1914-15 in the three schools of the university was 506.