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geographical features in Canada. Bell wrote over 200 reports and papers, mostly on geology, biology, geography and ethnology. During his lifetime, he saw his extensive body of fieldwork put to a significant purpose. The planners of the third trans-continental railway, the Grand Trunk
Pacific, were able to use the vast compendium of information in Bell's reports as the preliminary reconnaissance work required to plan the track route from Quebec to Winnipeg.
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As was the case with all GSC geologists of the time, Bell collected specimens and made notes on geology, flora and fauna, indigenous populations, climate and soil and exploitable resources. His GSC colleagues dubbed him the father of
Canadian place-names because he is credited with naming over 3,000
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Bell assembled a private library estimated to contain 26 tons of books and artifacts to support his life’s work. The collection contained rock specimens and hundreds of books on various subjects ranging from natural history texts, medical texts, geological reports, native language and culture texts
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In 1869, the GSC made Bell a permanent officer, and he spent the rest of his career there. He was promoted to
Assistant Director (1877), Chief Geologist (1890), then Acting Director (1901-1906). He was saddened that he was never appointed Director of the Survey. In November 1908, Bell retired.
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On
October 28, 1962, some of this collection was damaged or destroyed in a fire in Ottawa. Subsequently, the surviving collection was dispersed to family, private collectors and institutions. Some of his archives are held at
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and books on the exploration of North
America. It also contained research and professional periodicals, several Canadian newspapers and several hundred reprints of scientific and professional reports from other researchers.
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Directory of
Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929: a genealogical guide to over 149,000 medical practitioners providing brief biographical sketches drawn from the American Medical Association's Deceased Physician
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During his 52-year career at the GSC, Bell led many extensive explorations in northern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, the eastern
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A Search for Gold: Reconstructing a
Private Library-The Case of Dr. Robert Bell
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In 1856, at the age of 15 years old, Bell worked as a summer assistant to
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L’histoire de la
Commission géologique du Canada illustrée par 175 objets
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No Stone
Unturned: The First 150 Years of the Geological Survey of Canada
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In 1863, Bell became a chemistry and natural sciences professor at
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535:"Finding aid to Robert Bell fonds, Library and Archives Canada"
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King's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society of London
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The History of the Geological Survey of Canada in 175 Objects
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Received an honorary DSc degree from McGill University
175:(June 3, 1841 – June 18, 1917) was a Canadian
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682:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
552:. No. 36779. London. 28 May 1902. p. 12.
647:Canadian Companions of the Imperial Service Order
288:. He is credited with mapping the rivers between
360:1902 Received an honorary D.Sc. degree from the
126:of the American Geographical Society of New York
687:McGill University Faculty of Engineering alumni
16:Canadian geologist, professor and civil servant
450:Kelly, Howard A.; Burrage, Walter L. (eds.).
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667:McGill University Faculty of Medicine alumni
677:Recipients of the Cullum Geographical Medal
652:Fellows of the Geological Society of London
465:. Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Company.
498:. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services.
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319:Osler Library of the History of Medicine
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662:Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
113:named over 3,000 geographical features
642:Geological Survey of Canada personnel
632:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
340:1882 Elected a charter-member of the
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627:20th-century Canadian civil servants
622:19th-century Canadian civil servants
514:McGill Archival Collection Catalogue
346:1883 received an honorary LLD from
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416:Hafner, Arthur Wayne, ed. (1993).
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578:Dictionary of Canadian Biography
335:Fellow of the Geological Society
284:, Saskatchewan prairies and the
210:and amateur geologist, Reverend
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390:American Geographical Society
367:1903 Made a companion of the
321:but the majority went to the
657:Fellows of the Royal Society
460:American Medical Biographies
348:Queen's University, Kingston
583:University of Toronto Press
548:"University intelligence".
355:Fellow of the Royal Society
323:National Archives of Canada
236:Geological Survey of Canada
152:Geological Survey of Canada
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379:Royal Geographical Society
386:Cullum Geographical Medal
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124:Cullum Geographical Medal
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494:Vodden, Christy (1992).
195:Robert Bell was born in
672:People from Old Toronto
362:University of Cambridge
342:Royal Society of Canada
255:University of Edinburgh
101:University of Edinburgh
369:Imperial Service Order
453:"Bell, Robert"
249:, and studied under
232:William Edmond Logan
637:Canadian geologists
581:(online ed.).
537:. 25 November 2016.
510:"Robert Bell Fonds"
286:Athabasca oil sands
251:John William Dawson
220:Rathwell, Manitoba
74:Portage la Prairie
384:1906 Awarded the
373:1906 Awarded the
315:McGill University
271:Kingston, Ontario
243:McGill University
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132:Scientific career
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477:"BELL, Robert"
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392:of New York.
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205:Presbyterian
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148:Institutions
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68:(1917-06-18)
48:June 3, 1841
617:1918 deaths
612:1841 births
212:Andrew Bell
201:Canada West
164:Robert Bell
56:Canada West
23:Robert Bell
606:Categories
419:Masterfile
400:References
290:Hudson Bay
44:1841-06-03
550:The Times
519:March 11,
481:Who's Who
381:of London
357:of London
337:of London
234:with the
181:professor
177:geologist
89:Education
437:27715765
350:, Canada
247:Montreal
78:Manitoba
388:of the
377:of the
317:in the
197:Toronto
142:Geology
52:Toronto
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328:Awards
282:Arctic
261:Career
216:Ottawa
208:clergy
138:Fields
118:Awards
82:Canada
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521:2019
433:OCLC
423:ISBN
292:and
183:and
172:FRSC
63:Died
38:Born
269:in
203:to
168:ISO
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