Probably to the great majority of English speaking people, the expression ‘O.M .’ has no very definite connotation. Certainly no strong feeling of affection, no marked sense of loyalty, is conjured up by saying ‘O.M .’. Yet for more than thirty years, in almost every scientific research laboratory in Canada, ‘O.M .’ had one well-known and very definite meaning: Otto Maass. The expression was used not frivolously, but with a sense of very real esteem and affection. It is, of course, not uncommon for young men to refer to their chiefs as ‘the Master’, ‘the King’, etc. whether these chiefs be artists or generals, directors of academic research laboratories or directors of theatrical productions. Such nicknames usually have a variety of connotations, but among Maass’s former students, the intense loyalty and depth of feeling of personal friendship that were implied by ‘O.M .’ was quite exceptional. While Dr Maass’s contributions to Canadian science and to Canada’s war effort were indeed remarkable, perhaps even more remarkable was the highly personal and enduring character of the veneration which he inspired in his students and close associates.
Setting up an Academic Research Laboratory in Canada in 2015
