Embedded Files
With colleagues at the Mayo Clinic (above) for the American Association of the History of Medicine 2010 in Rochester, MN. Below at the American Association for the History of Medicine in Baltimore in 2012.
Top from left to right: Dr. Erika Dyck (Leslie's doctoral supervisor extraordinaire), Dr. Amy Samson, Dr. Mat Dalziel, Dr. Leslie Digdon. Bottom from left to right: Dr. Judith Friedman, Dr. Erika Dyck, Dr. Amy Samson, Dr. Leslie Digdon
My name is Leslie Digdon, I hold a PhD from the University of Saskatchewan (2015) in history. My specialization is in the history of medicine but I also teach in the history of science and technology. I approach history through a social history lens but still love me a little theory (Foucault is my favourite, maybe because we have similar punctuation styles...).
I am an Associate Professor at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I am a member of the Division of Engineering and am cross-appointed to the Department of History, and I am thrilled with this appointment as I am an active advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration and education.
What do I mean by AFK? AFK is a long-standing gaming acronym that means "away from keyboard." I use it here to emphasize that doing history isn't about sitting behind a screen. While I am eternally grateful that so many archives are becoming digitized (and I am a huge proponent of digital access), too often students think they can learn history by googling, and it isn't true. To do history meaningfully, you need to interact with it, with primary sources (both digitized and not) as well as academic secondary sources, and to discuss the ideas that you are studying with other humans.
I've been exceptionally fortunate in the other humans with whom I have had a chance to engage in the discussion and study of history. As a result, I encourage students to interact with their classmates and talk about the history that they are learning. History isn't static and new ways of looking at things can bring valuable insights.
Image: Professor Owen on his favourite hobby (1870)
Image: Professor Owen on his favourite hobby (1870)
Public Domain, courtesy of the Wellcome Collection
Courses I Currently Teach
Courses I Currently Teach
HIST 1301: Introduction to the History of Science and Technology (next taught Spring 2026 online asynchronous)
HIST 1301: Introduction to the History of Science and Technology (next taught Spring 2026 online asynchronous)
HIST 3410: The Scientific Revolution (next taught TBD)
HIST 3410: The Scientific Revolution (next taught TBD)
HIST 3202: History of Medicine (tentatively scheduled for Winter 2028)
HIST 3202: History of Medicine (tentatively scheduled for Winter 2028)
HIST 4521: Constructing Race: Scientific Racism in Europe and North America (next taught Winter 2027)
HIST 4521: Constructing Race: Scientific Racism in Europe and North America (next taught Winter 2027)
For course descriptions, see Course Descriptions and Information
Supervision:
Supervision:
*Please note that I do not supervise graduate engineering students*
I am available to supervise History Honours and Masters thesis. My specific areas of research include the history of eugenic practice, policy, and education, the social history of syphilis and VD in general, and public health. Still, I am always interested in proposals that touch on my broader areas of supervisory interest, including the history of medicine, science, and technology.
If you are interested in pursuing an MA in history at SMU, please see the Department of History's requirements and application process: https://www.smu.ca/history/history-graduate-programs.html
I welcome emails from students (undergraduate and graduate) who are interested in working with me on their thesis. Leslie.Digdon@SMU.ca
Selected work:
Selected work:
"The "Good," the "Bad," and the "Irresponsibles": Alexander Peter Reid and His "Utilitarian, if Sordid" Discussion of Eugenics in Nova Scotia, 1875–1913"
"The "Good," the "Bad," and the "Irresponsibles": Alexander Peter Reid and His "Utilitarian, if Sordid" Discussion of Eugenics in Nova Scotia, 1875–1913"
Digdon, Leslie. "The "Good," the "Bad," and the "Irresponsibles": Alexander Peter Reid and His "Utilitarian, if Sordid" Discussion of Eugenics in Nova Scotia, 1875–1913." Canadian Journal of History 57, no. 1 (2022): 22-46.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, eugenics was heralded by physicians, social reformers, educators, and politicians as a science that promised to improve human populations and to solve social ills. This article examines and contextualizes the work of Alexander Peter Reid (1836–1920), a Nova Scotian physician, social reformer, and asylum superintendent while tracing the formation of his eugenic ideology and its transnational influences.
lMembers of the Canadian Committee for Mental Hygiene including Nova Scotia Provincial Psychiatrist Dr. Cyde S. Marshall centre of front row. The Bulletin, Vol.3 Nos. 2 and 3, March-May1928
""A visitation of providence:" Public health and eugenic reform in the wake of the Halifax disaster."
""A visitation of providence:" Public health and eugenic reform in the wake of the Halifax disaster."
Baker L. "A visitation of providence:" Public health and eugenic reform in the wake of the Halifax disaster. Can Bull Med Hist. 2014;31(1):99-122. doi: 10.3138/cbmh.31.1.99. PMID: 24909020.
The Halifax Explosion provided the opportunity for an "experiment in public health" that was meant not only to restore but also to improve the city and its population in the process. The restructuring that occurred during the restoration was influenced by pre-existing ideals and prejudices which wer …pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24909020/
Selected Recorded Talks
Selected Recorded Talks
“Safe Harbours of Health, Wealth and Desirable Possibilities – Navigating Nova Scotia’s Eugenic History”
Dalhousie Health Justice Institute Seminar Series, January 30th 2025
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