Educator.
Born at the Rural Municipality of Dufferin on 22 July 1907, son of David Lawson and Laura Bell Coulter, he taught at Ager School (1926-1928) and Sharon School (1929-1930) before moving to Winnipeg, where he taught in West Kildonan at Centennial School and John H. Gunn School (1930-1931) prior to becoming Principal of Governor Semple School (1936-1939) and earning a BA from the University of Manitoba in 1938. During the Second World War, he served as a Flying Officer and married Dorothy van Dusen Greenway (1910-1992) at the United Church in Crystal City on 2 July 1942. The couple had three daughters and moved to Mont Joli, Quebec for a while before returning to Winnipeg, taking up residence at 272 Oak Street. He taught at Earl Grey School (1948-1957) and Isbister School (1957-1958) before heading overseas with the Federal Department of External Affairs, teaching English at St. Thomas’ Secondary School at Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo. While on vacation in nearby Singapore, he suffered a heart attack and died on 30 January 1964.
Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“University,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 1938, page 7.
“Wedding is event at Crystal City,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 July 1942, page 11.
“Lawson-Greenway,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 July 1942, page 9.
“Summer school takes on international color,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 July 1951, page 3.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 1 February 1964, page 32.
[Photo caption], Winnipeg Free Press, 5 February 1964, page 3.
A Historical Study of Public Education in West Kildonan to 1959 by Raymond Ronald Bailey, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, 1966.
Obituary [Dorothy van Dusen Lawson], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 September 1992, page 36.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 December 2023
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