William Cyril Desmond Pacey, (May 1, 1917 – July 4, 1975), was a pioneer of
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
literary critic
Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
ism. He was also a notable author of verse and short fiction and a long-time university administrator. He was awarded the
Lorne Pierce Medal The Lorne Pierce Medal is awarded every two years by the Royal Society of Canada to recognize achievement of special significance and conspicuous merit in imaginative or critical literature written in either English or French. The medal was first a ...
by 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 1972.
As chair of the
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...
English Department in the 1940s, Pacey worked closely with Roy Daniels of 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 ...
to initiate English PhD programs at both universities, effectively breaking the academic stranglehold 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 ...
held on higher education in Canadian universities.
[Cogswell, Fred. "Desmond Pacey (1 May 1917-4 July 1975)". Canadian Writers, 1920–1959, Second Series. Ed. William H. New. '']Dictionary of Literary Biography
The ''Dictionary of Literary Biography'' is a specialist biographical dictionary dedicated to literature. Published by Gale, the 375-volume setRogers, 106. covers a wide variety of literary topics, periods, and genres, with a focus on American an ...
'' Vol. 88. Detroit: Gale Research, 1989. 236–239. ''Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online''. Gale. UNB Libraries. Retrieved on: 29 February 2012.
Biography
Early life, education, and career
Pacey was born in 1917 in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
to parents William and Mary. After his father was killed during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Pacey and his mother moved to England; in 1931, Mary married a Canadian farmer, and the family emigrated to
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada.
As an undergraduate, Pacey attended 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 ...
, where he earned a degree in English and Philosophy. Upon graduation, he enrolled at
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, where he was awarded his doctorate in 1941.
Pacey began his academic career in 1940 when he accepted a post at
Brandon University
Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon Co ...
in
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
.
In 1944, he accepted a position of chair of the Department of English at the
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...
, where he worked in various professorial and administrative capacities – as dean of graduate studies, as academic vice president, and as acting president – until his death in 1975.
Pacey published important work on
Frederick Philip Grove Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
*Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederi ...
,
Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, and
Ethel Wilson, among others. He worked as a contributing editor for
Carl Klinck's landmark ''Literary History of Canada.''
Legacy and honors
Pacey was awarded honorary degrees from the University of New Brunswick and from
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839.
Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not parti ...
in 1973. UNB launched its annual W.C. Desmond Pacey Memorial Lecture in 1980/81, at which time the first lecture was given by
Northrop Frye
Herman Northrop Frye (July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century.
Frye gained international fame with his first book, '' Fearful Symmet ...
. Most recently, in 2011/12, the lecture was given by
Tony Penikett
Antony David John "Tony" Penikett (born November 14, 1945) is a mediator and negotiator and former politician in Yukon, Canada, who served as the third premier of Yukon from 1985 to 1992.
Early life and political activity
Born in Sussex, Engla ...
, two-term
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
of the
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
.
According to Philip Kokotalio, Pacey is often "regarded as a champion of social and environmental realism in Canada." The critic
Frank Davey
Frankland Wilmot Davey, FRSC (born April 19, 1940) is a Canadian poet and scholar.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he grew up in the Fraser Valley village of Abbotsford. In 1957 he enrolled at the University of British Columbia where, in 1 ...
has argued that Pacey "demanded that the Canadian writer demonstrate his freedom from colonial
mimicry
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...
by attending to Canadian experience."
["Desmond Pacey," by Frank Davey. ''From There to Here: A Guide to English Canadian Literature Since 1960.'' Erin: Porcepic, 1974. Retrieved on: February 29, 2012.]
Selected works
Academic
* ''Frederick Philip Grove''. Toronto: Ryerson, 1945
* ''Creative Writing in Canada: A Short History of English-Canadian Literature.'' Toronto: Ryerson, 1945
* ''Ten Canadian Poets: A Group of Biographical and Critical Essays.'' Toronto: Ryerson, 1958
* ''Ethel Wilson.'' New York: Twayne, 1968
* ''Essays in Canadian Criticism, 1938–1968.'' Toronto: Ryerson, 1969
Creative
* ''Hippity Hobo and the Bee and Other Verses for Children.'' Fredericton: Brunswick, 1952
* ''The Picnic, and Other Stories.'' Toronto: Ryerson, 1958
References
External links
"The Lives of a Poet: the Correspondence of Earle Birney and Desmond Pacey, 1957–58."''Canadian Poetry'' volume 56. Tracy Ware.
A detailed source of information regarding Desmond Pacey's life and works. Archives and Special Collections Department, Harriet Irving Library, UNB.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacey, Desmond
1917 births
1975 deaths
Canadian literary critics
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Literary critics of English
University of Toronto alumni
University of New Brunswick faculty