Stephen Leacock(1869-1944)
- Writer
A man of seemingly inexhaustible talents, Stephen Butler Leacock (born
December 30, 1869) easily juggled being a humorist, essayist, teacher,
political economist, lecturer, and historian. He received many awards
and honorary degrees, among them the Lorne Pierce Medal; the Leacock
Medal for Humour was established in his honor and has been awarded
annually since 1947 to the best humorous book by a Canadian author. At
the height of his career from 1915 through 1925, Leacock was undeniably
the English-speaking world's best-known humorist. His parents, Peter
Leacock and Agnes Emma Butler, had been secretly married; Agnes was
three years older than her new husband. When Leacock was about 7, his
large family (ultimately ten brothers and sisters) moved to Canada and
settled on a 100-acre farm. Despite living a hard life on the farm, and
having a charming but shiftless alcoholic father, Leacock was fortunate
in that his mother believed strongly in a good education. With her
devoted support and guidance, he did well in school, and graduated in
1887 as Head Boy from Upper Canada College. He received a B.A. from the
University of Toronto in 1891. During this time, he wrote humorous
articles for magazines for extra income. In 1900, he married Beatrix
Hamilton, daughter of a well-to-do Toronto businessman. Her death from
breast cancer in 1925 grieved him greatly, but he kept his anguish
private, and spearheaded fundraisers to aid cancer research. Among his
professional accomplishments, Leacock was appointed to full professor
at McGill University in 1908. He was also appointed William Dow
Professor of Political Economy and chair of the Department of Economics
and Political Science, a position he held for 30 years until his forced
retirement at age 65. Leacock's prolific written observations--sharp,
funny, and timely--were critically applauded and loved by the public.
He published what many consider his literary masterpiece, "Sunshine
Sketches of a Little Town," in 1912. Leacock wrote two excellent
biographies: "Mark Twain," published in 1932, and "Charles Dickens, His
Life and Work," in 1933. In 1935, he published "Humour: Its Theory and
Technique." He died of throat cancer in 1944, leaving his
autobiography, "The Boy I Left Behind Me," unfinished. It was published
in 1946. But death did not sweep him from Canada's cherished memory. To
mark the 100th anniversary of Leacock's birth, the government of Canada
issued a six-cent stamp in his honor in 1969. Leacock's former homes
were declared historic sites, more awards were heaped upon him
posthumously, and in 1970, a mountain in the Yukon's Saint Elias range
was named after him.
