Charlotte Tansey was a Canadian academic, educator and writer who founded the Thomas More Institute for Adult Education in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, in 1945.

Charlotte Tansey studied English literature

English literature

English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....

 at College Marguerite Bourgeoys of the Université de Montréal

Université de Montréal

The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...

, earning a Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 in 1943, and then received her Master of Arts

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 from McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 in 1946; she wrote her thesis about Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...

.

She was a founding director of the Thomas More Institute for Adult Education in 1945, and was later its president for 18 years up until her retirement in 1998. The institute was set up to make it easier to pursue an undergraduate degree by taking night classes. The educational philosophy valued question and debate rather than lectures. The school was affiliated first with the Université de Montréal, and later with Bishop's University

Bishop's University

Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...

.

Her scholarly publications included co-authorship of "Creative Memory: Five Suggestions for Categorization of Adult Learning" (Adult Education Quarterly

Adult Education Quarterly

Adult Education Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of Education. The journal's editors are Amy D. Rose , Lisa M. Baumgartner Ann Brookes and Jovita M. Ross-Gordon...

; 1974) and Caring about Meaning: patterns in the life of Bernard Lonergan

Bernard Lonergan

Fr. Bernard J.F. Lonergan, CC, SJ was a Canadian Jesuit priest, philosopher, and theologian widely regarded as one of the most important Catholic thinkers of the twentieth century....

(1982).
She also received honorary doctorates from Concordia University

Concordia University

Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...

, Bishop's and Burlington College

Burlington College

Burlington College is a private liberal arts college located in Burlington, Vermont that offers Associate, Bachelor's, and Masters degrees, as well as several professional certificate programs...

.