Fonds F0757 - Aileen Fish fonds

Aileen Alexander Hackett, 1898-1977, was born in Wiarton, Ontario. She received her teaching certificate at Camrose Normal School and her BA in English and history from McGill University in 1921. That same year she married Dr. Frank Fish, ?-1975, and they moved to Alberta where they resided in Magrath, 1921-1923, Taber, 1923-1925, and Medicine Hat, 1925-1930, before coming to Calgary. The Fishes had three children, Barbara (Mayhood), Frank, Jr., and E.J.L.

While in Medicine Hat, Aileen was active in the Medicine Hat Women's Literary Club. In Calgary she worked as a substitute teacher. While Dr. Fish served overseas during the war, she taught at Garbutt Business College, 1940-1943. From 1943 to 1950 she was a medical librarian with the Calgary Associate Clinic. For the next ten years she was an active volunteer worker in Calgary, closely associated with Beta Sigma Phi, Calgary Women's Literary Club, Women's Canadian Club of Calgary, Calgary Local Council of Women, YWCA, Calgary Women's Progressive Conservative Association and the Alberta Mental Health Association.

She was appointed Advisor to Women Students at the University of Calgary, 1960-1965; served as Alberta's representative on the National Library Board, 1958-1964; and was an active member of Wesley United Church. After a year of travel in Europe in 1965, she took up a career as a public speaker and gave speeches to groups and organizations on literature, women's rights and Calgary history. In 1973 she was awarded the Order of Canada and in 1976 was granted an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary.