Wilder Penfield, Class of 1913, (1891-1976) was one of the most renowned Princetonians of the twentieth century, most especially in Canada where in later life he colloquially became known as the greatest living Canadian. Although from Wisconsin, he parlayed a Rhodes scholarship and a medical degree into a reputation as the preeminent neurological physician in the world from his adopted home in Montreal. His discoveries and insights resonate through the brain studies field to this day. He received not only the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, but equivalent awards from Canada, France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union among others.

A personable enthusiast of all areas of life, he played football with Hobey Baker, Class of 1914, and was head coach of the 1914 Princeton team; he was a novelist; he was the namesake of the fictional Penfield Mood Engine in Philip K. Dick’s iconic novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?; he was an avid amateur historian.

When asked to address the annual Alumni Day gathering in 1937, he called on the latter interest to speak on the misleadingly simple topic What Good is an Old Grad? The resulting tour de force is by turns humorous and deeply profound, modest and clever.

Commentary courtesy of Gregg Lange '70. For more on Wilder, see Wilder Thinking.

Source : Osler Library of the History of Medicine. McGill University, Photography Collection.