This History was written for the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists/La Société Canadienne de Physiologie Végétale at the request of the CSPP Executive. They kindly placed at our disposal the Society's archives and records, including copies of the minutes from all Business and Executive meetings. We undertook to write in chronological sequence because Paul Gorham was intimately involved with the "prehistory" and early years of the Society, while Tony Bidwell was more concerned with the later years of the Society's life. However, we have both read and edited each others contribution, and we take joint responsibility for its qualities - good or bad.
We should like to acknowledge the help of our President, Jim Craigie, who anxiously watched over the gestation of the manuscript and could be said to have provided admirable assistance as midwife during its birth. We are indebted to Connie Nozzolillo and Dorothy F. Forward for access to their collections of photographs, some of which we have been able to include. We are also most grateful to Dorothy Forward, whom we asked to read the manuscript with the view of ensuring the accuracy of its many arcane facts. Dorothy says that she prefers not to remember them all, but has given us the signal honor of her approval. Nevertheless, we do not hold her responsible in any way - except for her encouragement - for what happened.
It is our pleasure and honor to dedicate this History to those Canadian plant physiologists who have left us, and to those who will join the ranks of the Society during the years to come.
Paul R. Gorham, Edmonton
R.G.S. Bidwell, Halifax
April, 1983