Stephen Butler Leacock, a man of extraordinary versatility, effortlessly balanced his multifaceted career as a humorist, essayist, teacher, political economist, lecturer, and historian. Born on December 30, 1869, he received numerous accolades and honorary degrees, including the Lorne Pierce Medal, and the Leacock Medal for Humour, established in his honor, which has been awarded annually since 1947 to the best humorous book by a Canadian author.
Leacock's parents, Peter Leacock and Agnes Emma Butler, had a secret marriage, with Agnes being three years older than her husband. When Leacock was about seven years old, his large family, consisting of ten brothers and sisters, moved to Canada and settled on a 100-acre farm. Despite living a challenging life on the farm, with a charming but shiftless alcoholic father, Leacock was fortunate to have a mother who believed strongly in a good education. With her devoted support and guidance, he excelled in school, graduating in 1887 as Head Boy from Upper Canada College. He received a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1891.
During this time, he wrote humorous articles for magazines to supplement his income. In 1900, he married Beatrix Hamilton, the daughter of a well-to-do Toronto businessman. Her death from breast cancer in 1925 deeply saddened him, but he kept his grief private and spearheaded fundraisers to aid cancer research. Among his professional accomplishments, Leacock was appointed to full professor at McGill University in 1908, where he held the position of William Dow Professor of Political Economy and chair of the Department of Economics and Political Science for 30 years until his forced retirement at age 65.
Leacock's prolific written observations, sharp, funny, and timely, received critical acclaim and were loved by the public. He published what many consider his literary masterpiece, "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town," in 1912. Leacock wrote two excellent biographies: "Mark Twain," published in 1932, and "Charles Dickens, His Life and Work," in 1933. In 1935, he published "Humour: Its Theory and Technique." He died of throat cancer in 1944, leaving his autobiography, "The Boy I Left Behind Me," unfinished. It was published in 1946.
Despite his passing, Leacock's legacy continued to be celebrated. To mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, the government of Canada issued a six-cent stamp in his honor in 1969. His former homes were declared historic sites, and he received numerous posthumous awards. In 1970, a mountain in the Yukon's Saint Elias range was named after him, further cementing his place in Canadian history.
