George Ramsay Cook
Encyclopedia
George Ramsay Cook, OC
, FRSC
(born November 28, 1931 in Alameda
, Saskatchewan
), is a Canadian
historian and general editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
. He was professor
of history
at York University
for 25 years until 1996. Through his championing of so-called "limited identities", Cook contributed to the rise of the New Social History, which uses "class, gender and ethnicity" as its three main categories of analysis. Cook's conception of "limited identities" was famously formulated in an article in the International Journal in 1967, Canada's centenary year
, reviewing the state of contemporary scholarship on Canadian nationalism
:
During his teaching career, Cook supervised the work of many prominent social historians such as Franca Iacovetta
.
In 1997, the Ramsay Cook Research Scholarship was established at York University to honour his contribution to the field of history.
He publicly supported Pierre Elliott Trudeau in his attempt to gain the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
in 1968.
He is married to Eleanor Cook, an English
professor
at the University of Toronto
for non-fiction in 1985, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
in 1986.
Cook was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
by the Japanese government in 1994.
In 2005, he was the recipient of the Molson Prize
in Social Sciences and Humanities.
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...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(born November 28, 1931 in Alameda
Alameda, Saskatchewan
-See also:* List of communities in Saskatchewan* List of towns in Saskatchewan* List of Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks-References:* Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
), is a 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 and general editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The DCB, which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toronto and Université Laval...
. He was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of 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...
at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
for 25 years until 1996. Through his championing of so-called "limited identities", Cook contributed to the rise of the New Social History, which uses "class, gender and ethnicity" as its three main categories of analysis. Cook's conception of "limited identities" was famously formulated in an article in the International Journal in 1967, Canada's centenary year
Canadian Centennial
The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
, reviewing the state of contemporary scholarship on Canadian nationalism
Canadian nationalism
Canadian nationalism is a term which has been applied to ideologies of several different types which highlight and promote specifically Canadian interests over those of other countries, notably the United States...
:
After six new books on the great Canadian problem — our lack of
unity and identity — are we getting any nearer the source of the problem?
Undoubtedly something is achieved: if nothing else one can wonder if the
search is worth the effort. Certainly we should continue to try to understand
ourselves; an unexamined nation is not worth living in. But it
may be that the frame of reference is wrong. Perhaps instead of constantly
deploring our lack of identity, we should attempt to understand
and explain the regional, ethnic and class identities that we do have. It
might just be that it is in these limited identities that "Canadianism" is
found, and that except for our over-heated nationalist intellectuals,
Canadians find this situation quite satisfactory.
During his teaching career, Cook supervised the work of many prominent social historians such as Franca Iacovetta
Franca Iacovetta
Franca Iacovetta is a "feminist/socialist" historian of labour and migration currently working at the University of Toronto.Her dissertation, published as Such Hardworking People: Italian Immigrants in Postwar Toronto, was supervised by York University's Ramsay Cook...
.
In 1997, the Ramsay Cook Research Scholarship was established at York University to honour his contribution to the field of history.
He publicly supported Pierre Elliott Trudeau in his attempt to gain the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in 1968.
He is married to Eleanor Cook, an English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Honours
Cook received the Governor General's AwardGovernor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for non-fiction in 1985, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
and 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...
in 1986.
Cook was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
by the Japanese government in 1994.
In 2005, he was the recipient of the Molson Prize
Molson Prize
The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Prize for the Arts is awarded by The Canada Council for the Arts. Two prizes are awarded annually to distinguished individuals. One prize is awarded in the arts, one in the social sciences and humanities...
in Social Sciences and Humanities.
Selected works
- The Politics of John W. Dafoe and the Free Press, 1963.
- Canada and the French Canadian Question, 1966.
- The Maple Leaf Forever: Essays on Nationalism and Politics in Canada, 1971.
- Canada 1896-1921: A Nation Transformed, with Robert Craig Brown, 1975. (Part of The Canadian Centenary SeriesThe Canadian Centenary SeriesThe 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....
.) - The Regenerators: Social Criticism in Late Victorian English Canada, 1985.
- Canada, Quebec and the Uses of Nationalism, 1986.