Harry McWaters Beer was a Canadian Quaker and Headmaster of Pickering College

Pickering College

Pickering College is an independent, co-educational school for children in grades from Junior Kindergarten through grade 12. It is located in Newmarket, Ontario in Canada on a 17-hectare property on Bayview Avenue...

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Beer was educated at Pickering College and served as French Master from 1938 to 1953 before becoming the school's longest-serving Headmaster from 1953 to 1978.

Beer championed the abolition of corporal punishment as a means of discipline to the Canadian Association of Independent Schools

Canadian Association of Independent Schools

Canadian Association of Independent Schools is an association for independent schools that operate within Canada or offer a curriculum leading to a Canadian diploma in a location outside of the country. Member schools are non-profit institutions with volunteer Boards of Governors who are...

, which eventually outlawed caning and other physical punishments as a result. The practice was subsequently outlawed across Canada in 2004. Beer brought other pacifist ideals to Pickering College during his term as Headmaster, including human rights, social justice, end environmental concerns in the teaching curriculum.

He was brother-in-law of diplomat and academic John Wendell Holmes

John Wendell Holmes

John Wendell Holmes, was a Canadian diplomat and academic.Born in London, Ontario, Holmes attended the University of Western Ontario and received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. From 1933 to 1938, he was a master of English at Pickering College. From 1938 to 1940, he...

 and father of politician Charles Beer

Charles Beer

John Charles McWaters Beer is a former Canadian politician...

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