Leonard Charles Marsh (September 24, 1906 – May 10, 1983) was a Canadian
social scientist
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of socie ...
and
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
.
Early life and education
Marsh was born in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and graduated from the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
in 1928. After graduation, he studied wages and housing and conducted research for
Sir William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was a Progressivism, progressive and social reformer who played a central role in designing ...
.
Move to Canada
Marsh moved to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1930, after being hired as a Director of Social Research at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
. McGill was taking part in two American-funded research projects at the time, the Canadian Frontiers of Settlement Project and the Social Science Research Project. Marsh was hired through a grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
and named project director for the SSRP. While Director, Marsh published several books on employment in Canada, including ''Health and Unemployment'' in 1938. The pivotal text to emerge from Marsh's role as project director was ''Canadians In and Out of Work; A Survey of Economic Classes and Their Relation to the Labour Market'' in 1940.
Subsequent career
''Canadians In and Out of Work'' was one of the first significant works to analyse class in Canada and remained the most comprehensive study of the subject until
John Porter John Porter may refer to:
Politicians
* John Porter (portreeve), 1390–94, Member of Parliament (MP) for Taunton
* John Porter (Illinois politician) (1935–2022), Illinois politician, U.S. Representative
* John Porter (MP for Bramber) (died 1599 ...
's release of
The Vertical Mosaic.
The work was not well received by the business community. Marsh and the Social Science Research Project proved to be an irritant to the university and funders and funding was not renewed when the grant ran out in 1940.
Leonard Marsh went on to be named research director for the Federal Government's Advisory Committee on Reconstruction under chair
Frank Cyril James
Frank Cyril James (October 8, 1903 – May 3, 1973) was a Canadian academic and principal of McGill University from 1939 to 1962.
Biography
Born in London, England, he won a Sir Ernest Cassel Travelling Scholarship that allowed him to study ...
in 1941. In early December 1942, the British Government released the
Beveridge Report
The Beveridge Report, officially entitled ''Social Insurance and Allied Services'' ( Cmd. 6404), is a government report, published in November 1942, influential in the founding of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It was drafted by the Libe ...
which called for the creation of a postwar welfare state. It was popular in Canada which led Mackenzie King, the Liberal government Prime Minister to ask James and Marsh to prepare a similar report for Canada in mid December. Marsh took on the task immediately and with the help of several staff members he was able to complete a draft report in just three months. The ''Report on Social Security for Canada'' was submitted to Parliament on March 15, 1943. It called for the establishment of a broad range of social assistance, social insurance and public welfare programs. It subsequently became known colloquially known as "The Marsh Report". Despite the favourable publicity it received in 1943, the report was largely ignored. Some have even postulated that it was a source of embarrassment for the King government.
Many of the Marsh Report's recommendations would come into being in the postwar years For this reason it is often referred to a blueprint for the development of the Canadian welfare state.
Leonard Marsh joined the
League for Social Reconstruction
The League for Social Reconstruction (LSR) was a circle of Canadian socialists officially formed in 1932. The group advocated for social and economic reformation as well as political education. The formation of the LSR was provoked by events such ...
in 1932 and served as president for two terms, 1937–1938 and 1938-1939. With Harry Cassidy, he edited the League's key publication, Social Planning for Canada, which was published in 1935.
He left the Advisory Committee to become welfare adviser to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Relief and Rehabilitation Administration from 1944-46.
Marsh was hired by 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 ...
's School of Social Work in 1947. In 1959, he was named Director of Research. Marsh joined the Faculty of Education in 1964 as a professor of Educational Sociology. He retired in 1972 and was named
Professor Emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
the same year.
[ ]
Notable works
*''Health and Unemployment: Some Studies of Their Relationships.'' Published for McGill University by Oxford University Press, 1938.
*''Canadians In and Out of Work; A Survey of Economic Classes and Their Relation to the Labour Market.'' Published for McGill University by the Oxford University Press, 1940.
*''Report on Social Security for Canada.'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1975.
*''Rebuilding A Neighbourhood; Report on a Demonstration Slum-Clearance and Urban Rehabilitation Project in a Key Central Area in Vancouver''. Vancouver, University of British Columbia, 1950.
*''Communities in Canada: Selected Sources''. Toronto: McClelland, 1970.
With the League for Social Reconstruction
*League for Social Reconstruction, Research Committee. ''Social Planning for Canada.'' Toronto: T. Nelson, 1935.
*League for Social Reconstruction, Research Committee. ''Democracy Needs Socialism.'' Toronto: T. Nelson, 1938.
Notes
References
*Horn, Michiel. ''League for Social Reconstruction: Intellectual Origins of the Democratic Left in Canada 1930-1942.'' Toronto: University of Toronto., 1980.
*Maioni, Antonia. "New Century, New Risks: The Marsh Report and the Post-War Welfare State in Canada." ''Policy Options''. August, 2004.
External links
Leonard Marshat
The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available fo ...
UBC Archives on Leonard Marsh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Leonard
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Canadian social scientists
University of British Columbia faculty
Alumni of the London School of Economics
1906 births
1983 deaths
British emigrants to Canada