R. Fraser Armstrong

Roy Fraser Armstrong (October 8, 1889 – October 11, 1986) was a Canadian hospital administrator and engineer who served as the Superintendent of Kingston General Hospital from 1925 to 1957.

Early life Armstrong was born on October 8, 1889, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, to Robert Edwin and Margaret Patterson Armstrong. From 1911 to 1915, he was a municipal consultant in Western Canada.

Military Armstrong enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on May 4, 1916. He was appointed lieutenant in the 65th Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery. He was later transferred to the 14th Brigade. In France, Armstrong served as an engineer. His duty was to ensure that the Canadian Expeditionary Force received an adequate supply of water. In 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace for distinguished action under enemy fire. In 1923 he married Muriel Smith of Woodstock. They had two children. In 1924 he was appointed acting Superintendent of Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario.

Kingston General Hospital

In 1924, Kingston General Hospital suffered from a number of personnel and management problems. Based on the recommendation of Dr. Horace Brittain, the hospital's Board of Governors decided to appoint someone with an administrative background rather than a medical one to run the hospital. Brittain also recommended that Armstrong be interviewed for the position. In March 1925, Armstrong was appointed Superintendent of Kingston General Hospital. In 1942 he introduced a ten-year plan to expand the hospital. The expansion included the construction of the Victory Wing, which included the first cancer clinic in Ontario, a dietary wing, the Walter T. Connell Wing, and a children’s hospital. Armstrong retired from KGH in 1957, but stayed on as a consultant until the construction projects were completed.