Memorable Manitobans: Norman Penner (1921-2009)

Historian.

Born at Winnipeg on 21 February 1921, son of Jacob Penner and Rose Shapack (?-1970), he grew up during the Great Depression in a family devoted to the cause of social justice. He served as a signalman in Europe in the Second World then became a sales agent in the electrical heating business before coming to his true calling. At the age of 41, he enrolled in political science at the University of Toronto where he received BA, MA, and PhD degrees. He became a professor at Glendon College, York University where, for 24 years, he taught Canadian political history. He authored four books on Canadian history and politics, including his 1970 work Winnipeg 1919: The Strikers’ Own History of the Winnipeg General Strike, and wrote numerous articles, scholarly essays and reviews. He retired in 1995. He died at Toronto, Ontario on 16 April 2009.

Sources:

Birth registration [Norman Penner], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 2009, page C16.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 3 June 2024

Memorable Manitobans

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.

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