Phyllis Ruth Blakeley, (2 August 1922 – 25 October 1986) was a

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 ...

historian, biographer and

archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...

. Born in Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Blakeley received a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Education degree, and a Master of Arts degree from

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...

. In 1945, she became a research assistant at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia. She became assistant archivist in 1959 and associate archivist in 1977. In 1982, she was appointed as the provincial archivist for Nova Scotia and was the first woman to hold that position. She retired in 1985. Her publications include ''Glimpses of Halifax'' (1949),'' Nova Scotia - A Brief History'' (1956), ''The Story of Prince Edward Island'' (1963), and ''Nova Scotia's Two Remarkable Giants: Angus McAskill and Anna Swan'' (1970). She was also a contributor to the

Dictionary of Canadian Biography The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; french: Dictionnaire biographique du Canada) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a ...

, having contributed 31 historical biographies. In 1978, she was made a Member 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 ...

for having "served her province ova Scotiafor well over thirty years" and for "devoting herself particularly to the preservation of its cultural heritage". She received a Doctor of Law degree from Dalhousie University in 1977 and a Doctor of Letters from St. Mary's University in 1983. In 1979, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society.

Legacy

In 1988, the Council of Nova Scotia Archives established the Dr. Phyllis R. Blakeley Award for Archival Excellence as a memorial to her contributions to the field and in recognition of current outstanding efforts in the profession. The award is granted to member institutions and organizations in good standing with the Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blakeley, Phyllis 1922 births 1986 deaths Canadian archivists Women archivists Canadian women biographers 20th-century Canadian historians Historians of Canada Dalhousie University alumni Members of the Order of Canada People from Halifax, Nova Scotia Historians of Atlantic Canada 20th-century Canadian biographers