Educator, administrator.
Born in Iceland on 14 April 1931, he was educated at the University of Iceland, receiving Cand. Phil (1952) and Cand. Mag (1956) degrees. Following graduation, he worked for a brief time as Deputy Director of the Icelandic State Broadcasting Services.
In 1956, he became the first Chair of the Icelandic Language and Literature Department at the University of Manitoba, remaining there until 1987 when he became the first President of the University of Akureyri in Iceland, holding the position until 1994. He published essays, articles, and reviews on Scandinavian mythology and Icelandic language and literature. He was also an editor of Lögberg-Heimskringla and Timarit hins islenska pjodroeknisfelags, a cultural magazine published annually by the Icelandic National League of Canada. He was inducted into the Order of the Falcon by the Icelandic government (1970) and he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba (1990).
He died at Toronto, Ontario on 8 April 2009.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 March 2009.
“The ’09 honour roll,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 2010, page H4.
Tribute to Haraldur Bessason (1931-2009).
Honorary degree recipients (1990-2009), University of Manitoba.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 February 2024
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