GEORGE STANLEY

Birth of the Canadian flag

Outline

BiographyFamily lifeDr. Stanley's design of Canadian flag

Love of countryHonoursReferences

George Francis Gillman Stanley(1907-2002)

Historian Author Soldier Teacher Public Servant Designer of the

Canadian Flag

Growing up in Alberta…

Born in Calgary on 6 July 1907.

He received a B.A. from the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Oxford University in 1929. He earned a B.A., M.A., M.Litt. and D.Phil., and held a Beit Fellowship in Imperial Studies and a Royal Society of Canada Scholarship.

Life in the Military

He qualified as a lieutenant in the New Brunswick Rangers.

He served as an infantry training officer in Fredericton and then proceeded to be an historian in the Historical Section at Canadian Army Headquarters in London.

Among his responsibilities were the Canadian War Artists. He was discharged as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1947 in Vancouver.

Biography

At the University of British Columbia (1947-1949), Stanley held the first ever chair in Canadian history in Canada.

In 1949 - head of the history department at the Royal Military College. He served in this capacity for twenty years and as the first Dean of Arts (1962-1969).

He became a member of the Royal Society of Canada in 1950 and received the Society's Tyrrell Medal for history in 1957.

Happy Family Life

Big Family

In 1946, George Stanley married Ruth L. Hill, a Montreal lawyer (she was gold medalist in law at McGill University).

three daughters: Dr. Della M.M. Stanley, Professor Marietta R.E. Stanley (1952–2008), and Dr. Laurie C.C. Stanley-Blackwell.

two grandchildren: Thomas E.G.S. Cromwell and Ruth L.H.Q. Stanley-Blackwell.

Dr. Stanley's design of Canadian flag. In 1964 Stanley

wrote to the committee in charge of finding a design for a new Canadian flag, arguing for a design that would be simple enough for children to draw. The sketch that he included at the bottom of his memo was approved by the committee.

the Maple Leaf Flagthe Maple Leaf Flag

Stanley left the Maple Leaf Flag which flies proudly across Canada and the world today.

"A flag," Dr. Stanley wrote, "speaks for the people of a nation or community.  It expresses their sorrow when it flies at half-mast. It honours those who have given their services to the state when it is draped over coffins.  It silently calls all men and women to the service of the land in which they live.  It inspires self-sacrifice, loyalty and devotion."

George Francis Gillman Stanley

G.F.G. Stanley holding the flag which he was instrumental in designing

A strong sense of Canadian history Dr. Stanley's design is based on a strong

sense of Canadian history. The combination of red, white and red first appeared in the General Service Medal issued by Queen Victoria. Red and white were subsequently proclaimed Canada's national colours by King George V in 1921.

Three years earlier, Major General Sir Eugene Fiset had recommended that Canada's emblem be the single red maple leaf on a white field.

Their Honors George and Ruth Stanley meet Their Royal Highnessses The Prince and Princess of Wales, 1984

Promoting love of country

He answered a steady flow of letters from school children asking about the Canadian flag.

He never missed an opportunity to promote Canadian citizenship and love of country.

In 1998, Professor Stanley donated his book collection to the Special Collections of the MacKimmie Library, University of Calgary.

Honours

Stanley was lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick from 1982 to 1987.

For 10 years (1982-92) he was Honorary Colonel of the Royal New Brunswick Regiment.

In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Canada

In 1995 he was promoted to the rank of Companion within the order.

Dr. Stanley passed away in his 96th year on 13 September 2002. After a traditional funeral at St. Paul's Anglican Church, he was buried with full military honours in Sackville Cemetery.

In March 2003, the Centre for Canadian Studies at Mount Allison inaugurated The George Stanley Lecture Series in Canadian Studies to honour his "great legacy at Mount Allison University".

G.F.G. Stanley at Silver Lake, Sackville, NB, 1993

References

http://people.stfx.ca/lstanley/stanley/welcome2.htm

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/george-francis-gillman-stanley/

http://people.stfx.ca/lstanley/stanley/Peterborough_Examiner.htm

http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1363358734450/1363344743820

The presentation was made by Elena Dovgan’.