University professor.
Born at Hamburg, Germany on 22 December 1920, to a Danish father and Polish mother, the family emigrated to London, Ontario in the summer of 1929. He graduated from London South Collegiate, University of Western Ontario (BA), University of Toronto (MA), and the University of Chicago (PhD). In January 1946, he began his career as a lecturer in the Department of French, Spanish and Italian at the University of Manitoba, rising to become Full Professor and later Head of the Department for many years. He was known internationally as an interpreter of the Romantic Movement of 19th century French literature.
He served several terms as a member of the University Senate. He became an Honourary Life Member of the Humanities Association of Canada, an Honourary Fellow of St. John’s College, and he served several years as a member and then Chairman and an Honourary Life member of the Modern Language Association. He was awarded the Palmes Academiques as an Officier Dans L’Ordre by the Government of France. For several years he was on the Board and the Chairman of the editorial board of Mosaic, the literary publication of the University of Manitoba. He was a vestryman of All Saints Anglican Church.
He died on 20 January 2009 and was buried in the Old St. Andrew’s Cemetery on River Road.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 22 January 2009.
“The ’09 honour roll,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 2010, page H3.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 1 April 2016
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!