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Allisonian Firsts: Eleanor (Fraser) O'Brien

A virtual exhibition celebrating the bold Allisonians who became the "firsts" in their field.

Eleanor (Fraser) O'Brien

First female editor of the Allisonian yearbook, 1943


Eleanor (Fraser) O'Brien, 1943

Taken from 1943 Allisonian yearbook. May only be reproduced with permission of the Mount Allison University Archives.

Eleanor Evans Fraser was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She entered Mount Allison University in the fall of 1939, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1943. While in attendance, Fraser took an active part in campus life. She served as vice-president of her class for three years, was a member of the women's council and the dance committee, earned a Literary "A" in her freshman year and an Argosy "A" after two years on the news staff, worked as assistant co-ed editor of the Allisonian yearbook in 1941-1942, and in her final year became the first woman to serve as editor of the yearbook.

Fraser married George Allan O'Brien on 8 January 1949 and the couple had two children. She died on 29 September 2011 in New Glasgow.

Scanned copy of two pages from the yearbook.

Taken from the 1943 Allisonian yearbook. May only be reproduced with permission of the Mount Allison University Archives.

Mount Allison University yearbooks from 1930-1958 have been digitized and are available online.