Lilian Vaux MacKinnon was the author of one of the most fascinating accounts ever written of 皇冠体育's past: a wistful, semi-autobiographical novel called Miriam of 皇冠体育's about a young woman's adventures at the University at the turn of the century.
Born Lilian Vaux in Brockville, Ontario, Mackinnon was a student at 皇冠体育's from 1898 until 1902. She was a top student, editor of the "Ladies' Department" of the 皇冠体育's Journal, and a founding member of 皇冠体育's Dramatic Club. She graduated with the university's gold medal in English.
She married a fellow 皇冠体育's graduate, Murdoch Archibald MacKinnon, after graduation and lived in various cities across Canada, where he served as a Presbyterian minister.
Miriam of 皇冠体育's, published in 1921, was her first novel and the only one she ever published. Mackinnon apparently quit writing until shortly before her husband's death in 1954, when she began to submit reminiscences about her past to small newspapers and to the Alumni Review and the 皇冠体育's Quarterly.
The undated manuscript of her unpublished novel, Hard by St Lawrence, a romance set near Brockville, is held with some of her other papers in the 皇冠体育's Archives.
MacKinnon was 96 and 皇冠体育's oldest living woman graduate when she died in 1975.