Richard Hughes, chair of the Dr. James B. Collip Recognition Committee, stands next to the committee’s display of the famed local doctor. The display was set up at the Belleville Public Library in celebration of Dr. James B. Collip Day on Nov. 20. Photo by Joseph Quigley
BELLEVILLE – Dr. James B. Collip Day, named for the Belleville doctor who helped develop insulin, was celebrated last Friday with a push to educate the public about him.
Members of the Dr. James B. Collip recognition committee created a booklet distributed throughout local schools and had a display at the Belleville Public Library, both of which detailed Collip’s life and achievements.
Collip was a skilled scientist and part of the research team that created insulin, a medicine for the treatment of diabetes that has saved millions of lives. In 1921, Collip developed a method for insulin to be safe for human use, a critical contribution to the medicine’s success.
Richard Hughes, chairman of the Dr. James B. Collip Recognition Committee, said that the display was meant to spread knowledge of the scientist.
“That’s the whole point of the event today. To inform people about this great scientist who grew up in Belleville,” said Hughes.
He added that spreading this history makes people more proud to live in Belleville.
“Knowledge of your city creates civic pride. Civic pride creates contentment,” he said. “If you know your city and you know it’s got a rich history, you feel happier.”
John Uttley, a retired clergyman who made a trip to the library to see the display, said he felt that sense of pride.
“I’m very proud because I was born in Belleville myself,” said Uttley. “I think (the recognition committee) has done a good service. I know a lot of hard work has gone into trying to raise awareness of (Collip’s) name.”
The effort to recognize Collip in Belleville began with city resident Dr. George Pearce, who was the first local advocate for it.
Pearce said that when he researched Collip, he felt that the scientist had earned more acknowledgement.
“It’s just amazing that he’d been kind of lost track of ,” said Pearce. “We (people in academia) feel that people deserve recognition if they’ve done great things.”
A heritage plaque dedicated to Collip was put in place outside the Belleville Public Library last year. Photo by Joseph Quigley
This year’s Collip day events were different from previous celebrations held since the day was commemorated in 2012. The day has previously featured public ceremonies, including one that unveiled a historical plaque for Collip at the Belleville Public Library in 2014. This year’s celebration lacked a similar ceremony.
Hughes said that changing the way Collip day is celebrated is a way to reach more people.
“It’s good to use a variety of approaches because with each approach you reach a different population,” he said. “With a public ceremony, you reach a 100 people. These people are willing to make an effort to come out, so they are very interested (in Collip). But the goal this year is to reach people who don’t know about (Collip), who probably wouldn’t come out (to a ceremony).”
But Robert Johnston, a member of the Hastings County Historical Society, said that holding a public ceremony for Collip day is important.
“I think it’s a good idea to have a public ceremony of some kind every year. This (display) is excellent, but there needs to be something more public,” said Johnston.
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