Context

The students at Macdonald Institute learned of positive and negative eugenic measures. This 1934-35 eugenics exam question, which is built on value-laden assumptions, shows how students of eugenics learned to apply the international eugenics movement locally in the Southern Ontario context.

Such questions resulted in the following response from one Macdonald Institute Senior Normal student, whose 1939 eugenic course notes and assignments are preserved in the Archive and Special Collections at University of Guelph.

“The most drastic method of getting rid of bad germ plasm is by sterilization and is recommended in cases of confirmed criminals, idiots, imbeciles and rapists. In the U.S.A. eight states already have sterilization laws providing for certain cases and could such a law be in the whole United States, less than four generations would eliminate nine tenths of the crime, insanity and sickness of the present generation in our land.”

“It is even more important to encourage the passing on of good germ plasm than to restrict the passing on of bad germ plasm. This is a well known fact that some of our best stock have non or too few children. One possible way of doing this is by subsidizing the fit. A couple, if they measured up to certain standards of appearance, health and mentality, could be given a large wedding gift by the government and an additional grant of money for each child born. This idea was suggested in Germany for the development of a national type, the “Housen Blondes” but could be applied equally well in the development of a desirable Type.”

“Regarding marriage – many states of America have laws forbidding the marriage of epileptics, the insane, habitual drunkards, paupers, idiots, feeble-minded and those afflicted with venereal diseases. Such laws should be more widespread and more rigidly enforced. There should be compulsory medical examination before marriage.” (Student Assignment in Eugenics 1939 - “Improvement of the Human Race”)^{[1](footnote)}

Of particular note is this student’s idea of applying a Nazi breeding program to create a superior Aryan Race, referred to here as “Housen Blondes,” to the possible development of “a desirable Type” in Canada.

This award-winning student of eugenics went on to become a teacher after graduation. As Junior and Senior Associates, most female students at Macdonald Institute were likely learning to become teachers of home economics. But in addition to becoming teachers, some of those trained in eugenics and euthenics went on to work in a wide range of fields in the areas of education, health, and social work, becoming nurses, dieticians, psychologists, physiotherapists, and researchers.