MANLY NORMAN SPIGELMAN

Condolences & Memories (4 entries)

• I was a student of Prof. Spigelman's in the early 1980s. He was such a vivid and remarkable person and intellect, he has always stayed with me. We called him Personly Norperson Spigelperson, because he was so diligent about women's rights. We worked together on topics related to eating and body weight issues and he was a strong advocate then for a very advanced view that eating disorders reflected society's intolerance for normal female bodies. He would say, picking a piece of Camel tobacco from his lip, "They're curvy! That's a good thing, that's natural, but it's hard to hang clothes on curvy." He was a great influence on my thinking and understanding, not just my knowledge base. He loved science for its logic and its aesthetics. I did my BA thesis and then another year of research with him and we published two papers together, the results of which are still relevant today. When I gave him my thesis the first time, he didn't even look at. He weighed it and threw it right in the bin. "Bring me fifty pages," he said, "If you think clearly, you will write clearly." He didn't just correct my concepts, he corrected my writing which he said was thinking on paper. One of his heroes was William James, whom he made me read, and he since I was also studying American Lit, he told me, "William James once wrote to his brother, Henry, when will you learn to write?" He had a lovely speaking voice (sounded great in lectures and in the media). He had the physical stature of Woody Allen, and the voice of Peter Jennings. My first paper for him was a summary of the work of Donald Hebb, and I think we bonded because of that. He let me have the office next to his that was like a spare room, and I came to love the smell of Camel tobacco because I associated it with him. I imitated his stickleback dance, which he did when lecturing about Niko Tinbergen, the Nobel prize-winning ethologist, who studied the behavior of stickleback fish in the ditches in Denmark. His lectures on sensory-perceptual systems were jewels of neuroscience: sparkling, clear, invaluable. My second paper was on Ronald Melzack, another McGill graduate, and we talked a lot about the hypothalamic-pituitary system: Pavlov showed us a lot more than just dogs salivating to bells. Manly referred to that as the four F's: "Feeding, fleeing, fighting, and mating," with a straight face. He had a great sense of humor, and he thought I was hilarious, which I was. I was barely more than an adolescent, and Manly couldn't help but be aware of my undergraduate lifestyle. He was always willing to give me fatherly advice, which is what all undergrads secretly want from their professors. He was comfortable enough with his humanistic beliefs and ethical values to share them. Manly was, as his name suggests, a mensch, or personsch. A clear and wise thinker, someone who made us all feel good be in his presence and a fellow member of his species. He will also remain always a well-remembered friend. - Posted by: Daniel LeGoff (Former student) on: Nov 24, 2021

• I was a chemistry major, back in the 80's, and technically, had a minor in psychology, if it would have been recognized as such. Dr. Spigelman's courses dovetailed nicely with my biochemistry courses, such that my studies led me to become a religious Sister (!) I do hope that, when he met the Lord face to face, his part in my vocation would have counted in his favour. God bless his memory! - Posted by: Sr. Christine Dudych, ssmi (former student) on: May 12, 2021

• Dr. Spigelman was such an inspiration to me, he was my professor for a couple of psychology courses in the early 90's. He always made time for his students, his office door was always open and I very fondly recall the kind way he spoke of his family and his life. He went to bat for me with an academic panel when I really needed someone on my side> He let me in to write my final exam with my newborn baby when I had no one to watch her and I will never forget him for this kindness to me. I am very sorry to hear of his passing and hope that he was able to enjoy much of his family in his last years, even his students knew he loved you. - Posted by: Lisa Dowsett (student) on: May 14, 2015

• I first met Manly when I took his Introductory Psychology Course at the University of Winnipeg in 1977. He was an excellent Professor and his love of teaching reached out to all the students who took his courses. We kept in touch over the years and when he married Alexandra they got a little Boston just like ours and we would see them both at various dog shows, and we shared that love of Bostons. I am truly saddened to hear of his passing and hope that your many memories and strength guide you through this difficult time. - Posted by: Sharon Hoel (ex Davis) (Acquaintance) on: May 16, 2006