Manitoba Historical Society |
|
Memorable Manitobans: Skuli Johnson (1888-1955)
Scholar.
Born in Iceland in 1888, son of Sveinn and Kristin Johnson, he came to Winnipeg with his parents at the age of 1 year. While attending Isbister School, he won numerous academic awards, including the Isbister awards in Latin, mathematics, English, and Greek. In 1905, as a result of exemplary studies at Wesley College, he received a Rhodes scholarship to study history, philosophy, and classics at Oxford University.
From 1914 to 1916, he taught Classics at St. John’s High School. Then, he lectured in Classics at Wesley College, becoming Professor of Classics in 1917. Three years later, he was appointed Dean of Arts for Wesley College. In January 1927, he joined the Classics Department of the University of Manitoba, rising to become Department Head. Adept at translation, he translated texts between Icelandic, Greek, and Latin, including Horaces’s Selected Odes, which had been thought untranslatable. He became Head of the Classics Department of the University of Manitoba. He was a member of the Humanities Research Council of Canada, a founder of the Humanities Association of Canada, honorary President of the Icelandic-Canadian Society, a member of the Icelandic Patriotic Society, and a Knight of the Order of the Falcon. In 1954, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
He died at Winnipeg on 1 June 1955 and was buried in the Garry Memorial Park. He was survived by his wife and two sons: Harold A. C. Johnson and Richard A. Johnson.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Erindale / Truesdale Cottage (Gimli)
Sources:
“Distinguished scholar, Prof. S. Johnson dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 June 1955, page 6.
We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 April 2022
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:
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!
|
For queries on the above page, please contact the MHS Webmaster. Home | Terms & Conditions | FAQ | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Donations © 1998-2023 Manitoba Historical Society. All rights reserved. |