Harry Thomas Patterson, (June 11, 1920 – February 23, 2005) was a Stratford, Ontario born

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

who went on to found the

Stratford Festival of Canada The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...

, then called the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, the largest theatre festival in Canada. Patterson was a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and a journalist writing for

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magazine in the early 1950s. From the time that he was a teenager, he had thought that his home town of Stratford, Ontario should be home to performances of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's plays. The town was suffering from

industrial decline Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpre ...

due to the declining fortunes of the rail industry. Patterson, with no experience of the theatre, proposed the idea of a theatre festival. In 1952, he invited the prominent British director

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at h ...

to visit Stratford and help bring their idea of a Shakespearean theatre to fruition. When Guthrie accepted the offer to visit, national newspapers started to take notice. Patterson told ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' he wanted to provide "Canadian acting talent the opportunity to work with top directors and actors without having to leave the country". For his part, Guthrie was interested in a venture that "offers a fresh advance in the production of Shakespeare". With Guthrie supporting the Festival idea, Patterson persuaded the town council to back it, and had an enthusiastic committee of local citizens to help organize it. Guthrie advised him to hire a big name for the first production, so Patterson received a small loan from the city council so he could visit Alec Guinness and invite him to perform in the opening season. The festival has grown and expanded significantly since that time. Patterson served as the festival's general manager during the first season and worked in other capacities until 1967. He also founded the touring company Canadian Players with actor Douglas Campbell and took part in the establishment of a number of cultural institutions, including the Canadian Theatre Centre and the

National Theatre School The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale de théâtre du Canada) is a private institution of professional theatre studies in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1960, the NTS receives its principal funding from grants aw ...

. Patterson was also the founder of the Dawson City Gold Rush Festival. Patterson 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 1967 and was also awarded the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official Award, honour in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the A ...

. He also received honorary degrees from 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 ...

and the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...

. One of the festival theatres was named after him in 1991, as is one of the islands in the Avon River. His memoirs, First Stage: The making of the Stratford Festival, co-authored with Allan Gould, were published in 1986.

References

External links

Stratford Festival founder Tom Patterson dies (CBC)Interview with Tom Patterson on the fortieth anniversary of the festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Tom 1920 births 2005 deaths Canadian theatre managers and producers Canadian male journalists Canadian military personnel of World War II Journalists from Ontario Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario People from Stratford, Ontario