Mona Roy

History was made at UNB in 1948 when the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Forestry was conferred upon Mona Roy at Encaenia. Despite the existence of the Forestry Department for forty years, Roy was the first co-ed to complete the courses and field work in Forestry. She made history again in 1950 when she became the first woman to graduate with a Master of Science in Forestry from the university. Roy's individual write-up in the university yearbook, Up the Hill, reads:

"Those with the idea that Forestry is strictly for men, can change their minds, for Mona can swing the axe and give the Forester's yell with the best of them. As an Entomologist, she is UNB's first girl forester, and even in this alien field, has gleaned only the highest marks. Among other hobbies, riding her saddle horse gets the most attention, being the topic of many a conversation with the lumberjacks. Mona was secretary of the Forestry association in her Sophomore year and she will always be remembered by her early appearance on the campus in the mornings; by her proud display of her bush clothes on Saturdays; and her pleasant surprises at out Formals. Mona's summer in Ottawa with the Dominion Government must have been very attractive to her, for she has decided to go on for her Master's degree. May she be as successful in her post-graduate work as she has been in the past."

Source(s):

• Alumni News, vol. 2, no. 4, July 1948, p.7.
• Up the Hill, 1948.

© UNB Archives & Special Collections, 2014