John English
Encyclopedia
John Richard English, CM
, FRSC
(born January 26, 1945) is a Canadian
academic who has also been very active in Canadian public life.
A native of Plattsville, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967 from the University of Waterloo
. He completed his A.M. degree in 1968 and PhD
in 1973 at Harvard University
. He joined the University of Waterloo as a lecturer in history in 1972, becoming an Assistant Professor in 1974, an Associate Professor in 1978, and a Professor in 1984. He received a D.Litt (hon) from Wilfrid Laurier University
in 1990.
He served as a Liberal
Member of Parliament
for Kitchener
between 1993 and 1997. Subsequently, he served as a Special Ambassador for Landmines and as a Special Envoy for the election of Canada to the United Nations Security Council
. He has also served as President of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs
; Co-editor of the Canadian Historical Review; Chair of the Board of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
and the Canadian War Museum
; and was the Executive Director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation
, Canada's largest think tank devoted exclusively to the study of international affairs. He is also the General Editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
at the University of Toronto
where he is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs
. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Canadian Forces College
in 2010-11 and is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo.
John English has written many books and articles, and was the official biographer of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson; this work was published in two volumes. At the request of the Trudeau family, he wrote the biography of Pierre Trudeau
. In October 2006, the first volume, Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Volume One: 1919-1968 (ISBN 0-676-97521-6), was published. The second volume, entitled Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Vol. 2 1968-2000, was published in October 2009.
He is a Member of the Order of Canada
, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
, member of numerous editorial boards, and a recipient of many literary awards. He has won the John A. Macdonald Prize of the Canadian Historical Association, the Canadian Author's Association Non-Fiction Prize, the University of British Columbia Biography Prize, and twice-won the Dafoe Prize. Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Volume One was shortlisted for the Charles Taylor Prize
for literary non-fiction in February 2007, and in January 2010, Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Volume Two received the same honour. Volume One was also chosen as a Best Book of the Decade by Chapters
. Both volumes were also short-listed for the Governor-General's Non-Fiction Prize. Volume Two also won the Shaughnessy Cohen Award
for Political Writing in March 2010.
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 January 26, 1945) 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...
academic who has also been very active in Canadian public life.
A native of Plattsville, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967 from the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
. He completed his A.M. degree in 1968 and PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1973 at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He joined the University of Waterloo as a lecturer in history in 1972, becoming an Assistant Professor in 1974, an Associate Professor in 1978, and a Professor in 1984. He received a D.Litt (hon) from Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
in 1990.
He served as a Liberal
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...
Member of Parliament
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for Kitchener
Kitchener (electoral district)
Kitchener was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
between 1993 and 1997. Subsequently, he served as a Special Ambassador for Landmines and as a Special Envoy for the election of Canada to the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
. He has also served as President of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs
Canadian institute of international affairs
The Canadian Institute of International Affairs was a Canadian, non-partisan, nationwide forum for the discussion and analysis of international affairs. The CIIA had 13 branches across Canada and a membership of 1,300. It hosted conferences, seminars and a speaker series...
; Co-editor of the Canadian Historical Review; Chair of the Board of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
and the Canadian War Museum
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
; and was the Executive Director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation
Centre for International Governance Innovation
The Centre for International Governance Innovation is an independent, non-partisan think tank on global governance. Led by experienced practitioners and academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements...
, Canada's largest think tank devoted exclusively to the study of international affairs. He is also the 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...
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...
where he is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs
Munk School of Global Affairs
The Munk School for Global Affairs at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre on global issues that integrates research with teaching and public education...
. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Canadian Forces College
Canadian Forces College
The Canadian Forces College is a military school for senior and general officers of the Canadian Forces. The college provides military education courses meant to enable officers to effectively provide leadership within the Canadian Forces. Additionally, the Non-Commissioned Members Profession...
in 2010-11 and is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo.
John English has written many books and articles, and was the official biographer of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson; this work was published in two volumes. At the request of the Trudeau family, he wrote the biography of Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
. In October 2006, the first volume, Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Volume One: 1919-1968 (ISBN 0-676-97521-6), was published. The second volume, entitled Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Vol. 2 1968-2000, was published in October 2009.
He is a Member 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...
, 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...
, member of numerous editorial boards, and a recipient of many literary awards. He has won the John A. Macdonald Prize of the Canadian Historical Association, the Canadian Author's Association Non-Fiction Prize, the University of British Columbia Biography Prize, and twice-won the Dafoe Prize. Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Volume One was shortlisted for the Charles Taylor Prize
Charles Taylor Prize
The Charles Taylor Prize is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Charles Taylor Foundation to the best Canadian work of literary non-fiction. It is named for Charles Taylor, a noted Canadian historian and writer....
for literary non-fiction in February 2007, and in January 2010, Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Volume Two received the same honour. Volume One was also chosen as a Best Book of the Decade by Chapters
Chapters
Chapters is a Canadian big box bookstore banner owned by Indigo Books and Music. Formerly a company in its own right competing with Indigo, the combined company has continued to operate both banners since their merger in 2001.-History:...
. Both volumes were also short-listed for the Governor-General's Non-Fiction Prize. Volume Two also won the Shaughnessy Cohen Award
Shaughnessy Cohen Award
The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to the best non-fiction book on Canadian political and social issues. It was presented for the first time in 2000....
for Political Writing in March 2010.
Selected bibliography
- The Decline of Politics, 1977.
- Arthur Meighen, 1977.
- Robert Borden, His Life and World, 1977.
- Years of Growth, 1986. Includes Volume I "Shadow of Heaven, 1897–1948" (1989) and Volume II "The Worldly Years, 1949–1972" (2002).
- Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Vol. 1: 1919-1968, 2006.
- Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Vol. 2: 1968-2000, 2009.