Rev. John Norman Maclean ( gd, an t-Urr. Iain Tormod MacGilleEathain) (1862–1941) was a
Scottish-Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish people, Scottish descent or cultural heritage, heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a ...
Presbyterian minister
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...
who emigrated to the United States and served in congregations in California, Iowa, and Montana.
Rev. Maclean is best known as the father of American author
Norman Maclean
Norman Fitzroy Maclean (December 23, 1902August 2, 1990) was a Scottish-American professor at the University of Chicago who became, following his retirement, a major figure in American literature. Maclean is best known for his collection of no ...
. Norman Maclean wrote vividly about his family in both fictionalized and non-fictional accounts, including the bestseller, ''
A River Runs Through It'', which remains an iconic work of 20th century
American literature
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
.
Early life
John Norman Maclean was born on July 28, 1862 to Norman Maclean and Mary MacDonald Maclean on the
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
*Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
*Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...
cleared by Maclean's grandparents after emigrating from the
Isle of Coll
Coll (; gd, Cola; sco, Coll)Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for ...
to the
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig Chanada, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scot ...
-speaking community of
Marshy Hope, Nova Scotia.
Showing early signs of academic promise, John Norman Maclean trained for the ministry first at
Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy (PA), founded in 1815 by Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a grammar school; a liberal, nonsectarian degree-granting college; and then a secondary school. Picto ...
, where academic records refer to him as "J.N. Mclean of
Glenbard", a community famous as the last home and burial place of the
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig Chanada, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scot ...
poet
John MacLean, the former Chief Bard ( gd,
Aois-dàna
The ' (Scottish Gaelic, literally "people of the arts", often translated as bards) served as advisers to nobles and chiefs of clans throughout the Scottish Gàidhealtachd until the late 17th century. Many of them specialised in preserving th ...
) to the
Chief of Clan MacLean of
Coll
Coll (; gd, Cola; sco, Coll)Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and ...
, who remains a major figure in
Scottish Gaelic literature
Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literature composed in the Scottish Gaelic language and in the Gàidhealtachd communities where it is and has been spoken. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, along with Irish ...
.
He completed his education at
Dalhousie College in
Halifax and at
Manitoba College Manitoba College was a college that existed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1871 to 1967, when it became one of the University of Winnipeg's founding colleges. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the city of Winnipeg and t ...
in Winnipeg. While riding circuit in the summers among small Presbyterian congregations in the pioneer farming communities of the
Pembina Valley Region
The Pembina Valley (french: Vallée-de-la-Pembina) is an informal geographic region of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is named for its major geographical feature, the Pembina Valley, which runs through the southwestern part of the region.
...
of south-central Manitoba, Maclean met his future wife, an
English-Canadian
English Canadians (french: Canadiens anglais or ), or Anglo-Canadians (french: Anglo-Canadiens), refers to either Canadians of English ethnic origin and heritage or to English-speaking or Anglophone Canadians of any ethnic origin; it is use ...
schoolmarm
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
named Clara Davidson.
Ordination and marriage
Clara's father, John Davidson, was a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
immigrant from Northern England, and had settled first near
Argenteuil
Argenteuil () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Argenteuil is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, ...
,
Laurentides
The Laurentides () is a region of Quebec. While it is often called the Laurentians in English, the region includes only part of the Laurentian mountains. It has a total land area of and its population was 589,400 inhabitants as of the 2016 Cens ...
, Quebec, where his daughter Clara had been born. Finding the farm land there to be poor, however, John Davidson and his family had moved west by
oxcart and settled on a
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
*Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
*Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...
at
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, near
Manitou, Manitoba
Manitou is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Pembina within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. The Boundary Trail Railway is based in Manitou. The community's motto is "More T ...
.
During their courtship, Clara often accompanied John while he was riding circuit. In 1893, John Norman Maclean completed advanced studies at
San Francisco Theological Seminary
The San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) is a seminary in San Anselmo, California with historic ties to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). SFTS became embedded in a new Graduate School of Theology of the University of Redlands in 2019. It was ...
in
San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo () is an List of cities in California, incorporated town in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It ...
and was ordained as a
Presbyterian minister
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...
. John and Clara Maclean were married in
Pembina, Manitoba
The Municipality of Pembina is a List of rural municipalities in Manitoba, rural municipality (RM) in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba.
History
The municipality was incorporated on January 1, 2015 via the ...
on August 1, 1893.
Personal life
John and Clara Maclean had two sons, both of whom graduated from
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
. In 1908 the Rev. Maclean moved to
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
and became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Missoula in 1909.
The eldest son
Norman Maclean
Norman Fitzroy Maclean (December 23, 1902August 2, 1990) was a Scottish-American professor at the University of Chicago who became, following his retirement, a major figure in American literature. Maclean is best known for his collection of no ...
, was born at
Clarinda, Iowa
Clarinda is a city in and the county seat of Page County, Iowa, Page County, Iowa. It is located in Nodaway Township, Page County, Iowa, Nodaway Township. The population was 5,369 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
Histor ...
in 1902 and went on to become a professor at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and a highly regarded figure in 20th century
American literature
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
.
When asked by an interviewer about having been homeschooled by his father, Maclean recalled, "I think the most important thing is that he read aloud to us. He was a minister, and every morning after breakfast we had what was called family worship. We'd all sit with our breakfast chairs pulled back from the table and he would read to us from
the Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
or from some
religious poet. He was a very good reader... that was very good for me because in doing that, he would bring out the rhythms of the Bible. That reading instilled in me this great love of rhythm in language."
The minister's younger son,
Paul Davidson MacLean, became well-known as an
investigative journalist
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
in both
Helena, Montana
Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would ...
and in
Depression era
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
Chicago. Paul Maclean suffered from alcoholism and
gambling addiction
Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...
, in addition to being a brawler and chronic womaniser. Despite repeated offers of help by his family, Paul MacLean rejected all such overtures.
On the early morning of May 2, 1937, Paul Maclean was attacked and brutally beaten at Sixty-Third Street and Drexel Avenue in Chicago by two men who, according to one eyewitness, drove away afterwards in a car. Paul MacLean was taken to nearby Woodlawn Hospital, where he died, without regaining consciousness, at 1:20 pm that same afternoon. According to his brother Norman, Paul Maclean fought back against his attackers and sold his life dearly. So much so,in fact, that all the bones in his right hand were found to have been broken during his last fight.
Following a homicide investigation by
Detective Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Ignatius Sheehan, the
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind t ...
ruled Paul Maclean's murder to be a
mugging gone bad. Another theory at the time was that Paul MacLean was murdered over his inability or refusal to pay an
illegal gambling
Gaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law, c ...
or
loansharking
A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law.
Description
Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
debt owed to the
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, tha ...
. No arrests were ever made and the case remains officially unsolved, however.
With his father's encouragement, Norman wrote a slightly fictionalized account of their childhood and last summer together with their parents in ''
A River Runs Through It'' which was published in 1976 and later adapted into a film.
Death and legacy
Maclean died in 1941. In 2009 First Presbyterian Church in Missoula dedicated a monument to honor Rev. Maclean.
["First Presbyterian monument to honor the Rev. Maclean," ''The Missoulian'', October 8, 2009]
In popular culture
* In
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
's award-winning 1992
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of
Norman Maclean
Norman Fitzroy Maclean (December 23, 1902August 2, 1990) was a Scottish-American professor at the University of Chicago who became, following his retirement, a major figure in American literature. Maclean is best known for his collection of no ...
's autobiographical novella, Rev. John Norman Maclean was portrayed onscreen by actor
Tom Skerritt
Thomas Roy Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962. He is known for his film roles in ''M*A*S*H'', ''Alien'', '' The Dead Zone'', ''Top Gun'', '' A R ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, John Norman
1862 births
1941 deaths
20th-century Presbyterian ministers
American Presbyterian ministers
American people of Scottish descent
Canadian Presbyterian ministers
Clan Maclean
People from Missoula, Montana
People from Pictou County
Scottish-American culture
Scottish-American history