Richard Colebrook Harris (July 4, 1936 – September 26, 2022), better known as Cole Harris, was a Canadian geographer and university professor.

Education

Harris received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree (1958) from the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

, a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree (1962), and a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

(1964) from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

Personal life and death

In 1964 Harris joined the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

as an Assistant Professor, and became an Associate Professor in 1971. Later that year he joined the University of British Columbia as an Associate Professor, and became a Professor at that university in 1973. Harris died at home on September 26, 2022, at the age of 86.

Awards

Harris was made a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

in 1982. The

Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada—its people ...

awarded Harris a Gold Medal in 1988, and awarded him the

Massey Medal The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) awards the Massey Medal annually to recognize outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. The award was established in 1959, by the Ma ...

in 2003. Harris was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

in 2004.

Selected publications

*''The Seigneurial System in Early Canada: A Geographical Study'' - 1966 *''Canada Before Confederation: A Study in Historical Geography'' - 1974 (edited with John Warkentin) *''Letters from Windermere, 1912-1914'' - 1984 (edited with Elizabeth Phillips) *''Historical Atlas of Canada, vol. I: From the Beginning to 1800'' - 1987 *''The Resettlement of British Columbia: Essays on Colonialism and Geographical Change'' - 1997 *''Making Native Space: Colonialism, Resistance, and Reserves in British Columbia'' - 2003 (nominated for the

Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize The Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, established in 1985, is awarded annually as the BC Book Prize for the best non-fiction book by a resident of British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three ...

) *''The Reluctant Land: Society, Space, and Environment in Canada before Confederation'' - 2009

References

1936 births 2022 deaths Canadian geographers Historical geographers Canadian non-fiction writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada University of British Columbia alumni University of British Columbia faculty University of Toronto faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Writers from Vancouver Massey Medal recipients {{Canada-scientist-stub