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Former headmaster’s wife donates book

Hélène Troubetzkoy, widow of Former Headmaster, the late Alexis Troubetzkoy, visited the school on September 24 to meet the newest headmaster of Selwyn House. While she was here, Mrs. Troubetzkoy also presented the school with a copy of her husband’s last book, One Canadian in His Time.

Alexis Troubetzkoy was headmaster of Selwyn House School for 10 years beginning in 1971. During his time as headmaster, he introduced some fundamental changes in the organization of the school. He changed the traditional “forms” into the more usual “grades” and introduced additional sports and functions, but his most notable achievements were the institution of Founder’s Day, the impressive expansion of the Wanstall Library and its facilities, and the introduction of French immersion classes in Grade 6 to meet changing conditions in the province.

Mr. Troubetzkoy was born in France, son of Prince G. Troubetzkoy and Princess L. Obolensky. With a childhood spent in the USA, he moved to Canada in 1953. A graduate of Concordia University and Bishop's University, his career in Canadian independent schools spanned 34 years. Twenty-two years were given over as Headmaster of Selwyn House School, Appleby College and the Toronto French School.

He passed away on January 22, 2017.

During her visit, Mrs Troubetzkoy recalled that, even though he served at several schools, her late husband’s fondest memories were of his years at Selwyn House. Many anecdotes from those years can be found in his new book.

This is not Mr. Troubetzkoy’s first book. Other published works are: Imperial Legend: the Disappearance of Tsar Alexander I; A brief history of the Crimean War; Arctic Obsession: the Lure of the Far North; and The St. Petersburg Connection.
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