Fonds consists of personal, semi-official and official papers reflecting Victor Odlum's duties as military officer, diplomat and newspaper man, with personal and other family correspondence and memorabilia.
The fonds also contains photographs depicting the career of Major-General V.W. Oldham as journalist, soldier, and diplomat; military service in World War I and World War II; as High Commissioner to Australia, 1942; Canadian Ambassador to China and Turkey; portraits of family and friends; group of men in a trench; Andy Rutherford, W. Applegate and others at Chungo Creek, Brazeau, September 1938; "F" Company, 6th D.C.O.R., Vancouver, British Columbia, ca. 1902-1905; portrait of Gen. V.W. Odlum and of President Harry S. Truman and Lloyd Odlum (possibly), 1948; views of Ottawa, Ontario, Vancouver, and Victoria, British Columbia.
Also included are 16 postcards of the Mobilization Camp of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Valcartier, Quebec, 1914; prints by F.T. Bush of scenes at Ypres; as well as a portrait reproduction print of Kemal Atatuk. The fonds also contains drawings collected by Victor Wentworth Odlum, some of which relate to his diplomatic postings; drawings possibly by Wentworth's China secretary Ingeborg Anderson and caricatures possibly by John G. Little relating to economic issues.
Objects include medals, badges, pins, tags, armband, pennant, and coin, which relate principally to the South Africa War, World War I and World War II.
Odlum, Victor, 1880-1971 : Victor Wentworth Odlum, soldier, journalist, diplomat, was born and educated in Cobourg, Ont. Years later he completed his studies at Columbia College, British Columbia, and the University of Toronto. In 1899 Victor and his younger brother enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regiment and served in the South African campaign. Following the war Victor returned to British Columbia where he worked for the Nelson Daily News and then the Vancouver Daily World. He became managing editor and later co-owner of the Vancouver Daily World.
In 1914 Odlum resumed active military service as Major with the 7th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1915 he became Lieutenant-Colonel in command of this battalion, and in 1916 he was promoted to Brigadier-General of the 11th Infantry Brigade. From 1924 to 1928 Odlum was a Liberal member of the Provincial Parliament for British Columbia. From 1924 to 1932 he was also publisher of the Vancouver Star. In 1936 Odlum was appointed to the Board of Governors of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - a position he held until 1941.
Odlum served for a short term during World War II as Major-General in command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. From there he entered the diplomatic service where he served as High Commissioner to Australia from 1941 to 1942, as first Canadian Minister and Ambassador to China from 1942 to 1952. In 1952 Odlum retired from public life. In 1965 he became publisher of the short lived Vancouver Times.
See: Canadian Encyclopedia, p. 1312; Canadian Who's Who, 1967-1969.
