W.L. Morton
Encyclopedia
William Lewis Morton, OC
(December 13, 1908 – December 7, 1980) was a noted Canadian
historian
who specialized in the development of the Canadian west
. He was born in Gladstone
, Manitoba
. He won a Rhodes Scholarship
and attended Oxford University where he studied history. He returned to Canada to teach at Brandon College, the University of Manitoba
, and then at Trent University
.
W.L. Morton served as Head of the Department of History and Provost of University College of the University of Manitoba
. He helped initiate The Canadian Centenary Series
project and served as the Executive Editor for the nineteen volume authoritative history of Canada
. He served as President of the Canadian Historical Association
from 1959-60. Morton was one of the most prominent early faculty members of Trent University at Peterborough, Ontario, and was the first Master of the university's Champlain College.
Morton was a strong supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party
, but was very much a Red Tory
. In 1969, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
"for his contributions as an historian, teacher and author of several books on Canadian History".
He died of a stroke in Medicine Hat, Alberta
in 1980 while travelling from Calgary to Winnipeg.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(December 13, 1908 – December 7, 1980) was a noted Canadian
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...
who specialized in the development of the Canadian west
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
. He was born in Gladstone
Gladstone, Manitoba
Gladstone is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 34 within the boundaries of the Rural Municipality of Westbourne...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He won a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
and attended Oxford University where he studied history. He returned to Canada to teach at Brandon College, the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
, and then at Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
.
W.L. Morton served as Head of the Department of History and Provost of University College of the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. He helped initiate The Canadian Centenary Series
The Canadian Centenary Series
The Canadian Centenary Series is a nineteen volume authoritative history of Canada published between 1963 and 1986 as an extended Canadian Centennial project. The collection resulted from the initiative of W. L. Morton and D. G. Creighton....
project and served as the Executive Editor for the nineteen volume authoritative history of Canada
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...
. He served as President of the Canadian Historical Association
Canadian Historical Association
The Canadian Historical Association is a Canadian organization founded in 1922 for the purposes of promoting historical research and scholarship. Marius Barbeau, the anthropologist, was its founding Secretary...
from 1959-60. Morton was one of the most prominent early faculty members of Trent University at Peterborough, Ontario, and was the first Master of the university's Champlain College.
Morton was a strong supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, but was very much a Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
. In 1969, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
"for his contributions as an historian, teacher and author of several books on Canadian History".
He died of a stroke in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
in 1980 while travelling from Calgary to Winnipeg.
Works
- Third Crossing: A History of the Town and District of Gladstone in the Province of Manitoba - 1946
- The Progressive Party in Canada - 1950 (Winner of the 1950 Governor General's Award for Nonfiction1950 Governor General's AwardsIn Canada, the 1950 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were the fourteenth such awards. The awards in this period had no monetary prize but were an honour for the authors.-Winners:*Fiction: Germaine Guèvremont, The Outlander ....
) - The London Correspondence Inward from Eden Colvile 1849-1852 - 1956
- Alexander Begg's Red River Journal and Other Papers Relative to the Red River Resistance of 1869-70 - 1956
- Manitoba: A History - 1957
- One University: A History of the University of Manitoba - 1960
- The Canadian Identity - 1961
- The Kingdom of Canada - 1963
- The Critical Years: The Union of British North America, 1857-1973 - 1964
- Manitoba: The Birth of a Province - 1965
- Contexts of Canada's Past: Selected Essays of W.L. Morton - 1980