Fonds MG050 - George Whalley fonds

George Whalley (25 July 1915 - 27 May 1983) was a scholar, poet, naval officer and secret intelligence agent during World War II, CBC broadcaster, musician, biographer, and translator.He taught English at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario (1950-80) and was twice the head of the department. He was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 1959. He married Elizabeth Watts on July 25, 1944. His brother, Peter Whalley, was a famous artist and cartoonist. Whalley completed his first B.A. at Bishop's University, in Lennoxville, Quebec, graduating in 1935. As a Rhodes Scholar, he completed his second B.A. at Oriel College, Oxford, in 1939. He received an M.A. from Oriel College, Oxford, in 1945. He completed his second M.A. degree at Bishop's University in 1948. His thesis was entitled "A Critique of Criticism." He received his Ph.D. from King's College, University of London, in 1950. Whalley was a leading expert on the writings of the poet and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Whalley served in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (1940-56) and was on active duty in the
Royal Navy (1940-45). After the war, Whalley served as the Commander to HMCS Cataraqui in Kingston (1952-56). He retired with the rank of Commander in 1956. Whalley's wartime poetry has been praised as displaying a mature range and scope unique amongst second world war poets. George Whalley died in Kingston, Ontario in 1983.