Douglas Cole (historian)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Lowell Cole was a Canadian
historian
specializing in art
and cultural history, particularly the cultures of Northwest Pacific Coast
.
Douglas Cole was born at Coulee Dam, Washington
. His father was a construction worker and labor union
activist. His mother taught elementary school. Cole graduated from Whitman College
, obtained an MA
in international relations
from George Washington University
and a Ph.D.
in history
from the University of Washington
. In 1966, he started teaching history at Simon Fraser University
near Vancouver
, British Columbia
, where he ultimately became Chair of the History Department from 1978 to 1980 and President of the Faculty Association from 1986 to 1988.
As a student, Canada was the focus of both Cole's master's thesis ("The United States and Canadian Diplomatic Independence, 1918-1926") and his doctoral dissertation ("John S. Ewart and the Canadian Nation"). He originally specialized in diplomatic and political history, but later became fascinated by the cultural history of the Northwest Pacific coast. Cole was among the first scholars to write on the history of art, literature, and intellectual thought in settler society. He also wrote seminal, often highly critical, studies of the impact of European values and institutions on the indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest coast that are widely acknowledged as exemplary texts for their painstaking research, clarity of exposition, and provocative insights. Cole died suddenly of from heart failure while gardening in his North Vancouver home.
Cole's best known publications were Captured Heritage: The Scramble for Northwest Coast Artifacts, which dealt with the acquisition, sometimes unscrupulously, of Northwest Coast native art by world-renowned museums, An Iron Hand Upon the People: The Law Against the Potlatch on the Northwest Coast, [with Ira Chaikin] a study of the legislation outlawing the traditional native giving away ceremonies, and Franz Boas: The Early Years, perhaps the first in-depth biography examining the development, influences, and early struggles of the man commonly referred to as the father of modern anthropology.
A review of Cole' work and contribution to the cultural and intellectual history the Northwest Coast can be found in Wendy Wickwire's " 'The Quite Impossible Task': Douglas Cole and the Eucumenical Challenge of British Columbia's Cultural History" BC Studies (The British Columbian Quarterly) 125/126 (Spring/Summer 2000),5-32.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
specializing in art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and cultural history, particularly the cultures of Northwest Pacific Coast
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Douglas Cole was born at Coulee Dam, Washington
Coulee Dam, Washington
Coulee Dam is a town in Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The Douglas County portion of Coulee Dam is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,098 as of the 2010 census.-History:Coulee Dam was...
. His father was a construction worker and labor union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist. His mother taught elementary school. Cole graduated from Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
, obtained an MA
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
and a Ph.D.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. In 1966, he started teaching history at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
near Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, where he ultimately became Chair of the History Department from 1978 to 1980 and President of the Faculty Association from 1986 to 1988.
As a student, Canada was the focus of both Cole's master's thesis ("The United States and Canadian Diplomatic Independence, 1918-1926") and his doctoral dissertation ("John S. Ewart and the Canadian Nation"). He originally specialized in diplomatic and political history, but later became fascinated by the cultural history of the Northwest Pacific coast. Cole was among the first scholars to write on the history of art, literature, and intellectual thought in settler society. He also wrote seminal, often highly critical, studies of the impact of European values and institutions on the indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest coast that are widely acknowledged as exemplary texts for their painstaking research, clarity of exposition, and provocative insights. Cole died suddenly of from heart failure while gardening in his North Vancouver home.
Cole's best known publications were Captured Heritage: The Scramble for Northwest Coast Artifacts, which dealt with the acquisition, sometimes unscrupulously, of Northwest Coast native art by world-renowned museums, An Iron Hand Upon the People: The Law Against the Potlatch on the Northwest Coast, [with Ira Chaikin] a study of the legislation outlawing the traditional native giving away ceremonies, and Franz Boas: The Early Years, perhaps the first in-depth biography examining the development, influences, and early struggles of the man commonly referred to as the father of modern anthropology.
A review of Cole' work and contribution to the cultural and intellectual history the Northwest Coast can be found in Wendy Wickwire's " 'The Quite Impossible Task': Douglas Cole and the Eucumenical Challenge of British Columbia's Cultural History" BC Studies (The British Columbian Quarterly) 125/126 (Spring/Summer 2000),5-32.