Alfred Bailey
Encyclopedia
Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey, (March 18, 1905 – April 21, 1997) was a Canadian
educator, poet, anthropologist, ethno-historian, and academic administrator.
, Quebec
, the son of Professor Loring Woart Bailey
and Ernestine Valiant (Gale) Bailey, he received his BA
degree in 1927 from the University of New Brunswick
(UNB). He was editor of The High School of Quebec Magazine while in high school, and verse editor of The Brunswickian at UNB, and contributed poetry to both magazines.
Bailey then attended the University of Toronto
, where he earned his MA
in 1929. There he became friends with Earle Birney
, Ray Daniells, and Robert Finch
, and was introduced to the poetry of T.S. Eliot.
After graduating, Bailey worked as a reporter for the Toronto Mail and Empire. He returned to the University of Toronto to receive his Ph.D
in 1934.
He then spent a year on a Royal Society of Canada
fellowship studying at the London School of Economics
, where he was introduced to "leftist politics" and the poetry of Dylan Thomas
.
From 1935 to 1938, he worked as assistant director and associate curator at the New Brunswick Museum
in Saint John, New Brunswick
.
In 1938, the president of UNB offered to make Bailey the head of a new Department of History if he could talk the provincial government into granting sufficient funding for it. Bailey was successful, and served as head of the new department for 30 years, until 1969.
Bailey instituted colonial American studies at the UNB; as a result a closer liaison developed between its history departments and that of the University of Maine
in the 1960s. Visits between scholars from Atlantic Provinces and the University of Maine became frequent after the establishment of the New England
- Atlantic Provinces Study Center at Orono
in 1966.
Bailey worked hard at founding a literary community in New Brunswick, founding the Bliss Carman Society. The Society held its meetings at his home, and he kept minutes (including records of all poems). His mimeographed sheets of poems read at Society meetings eventually grew into a new literary magazine, The Fiddlehead, established in 1945 and now Canada's longest-running literary journal.
Alfred Bailey was Honorary Librarian and CEO of the UNB Library from 1946 to 1959. From 1946 to 1964, he was the first Dean of Arts at UNB, and from 1965 to 1969, he was Vice President (Academic). He retired in 1970.
He wrote poetry from college through retirement. His books of poetry include Songs of the Saguenay (1927), Tao (1930), Border River (1952), Thanks for a Drowned Island (1973), and Miramichi Lightning: The Collected Poems of Alfred G. Bailey (1981).
His essay "Overture to Nationhood" in the Literary History of Canada (1965) (which he helped to edit), and his 1972 collection Culture and Nationality: Essays by A.G. Bailey, confirmed his status as cultural historian.
tones of late 19th-century verse, Bailey evolved into a contemporary poet whose statement was full of the surrounding reality, whose voice is, at times, deceptively subdued but whose imagination ranged widely and wisely."
In 1951, Bailey was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
. In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
He is commemorated by the Alfred G. Bailey Poetry Prize, awarded annually by the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick; and by the Alfred G. Bailey Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded annually to a UNB student majoring in history.
Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey has had a formative influence on a generation of younger poets, notably Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, and Robert Gibbs.
Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
educator, poet, anthropologist, ethno-historian, and academic administrator.
Life
Born in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the son of Professor Loring Woart Bailey
Loring Woart Bailey
Loring Woart Bailey was an educator, geologist, botanist, and author. He was born at West Point, New York, the son of a professor at the academy....
and Ernestine Valiant (Gale) Bailey, he received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1927 from the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
(UNB). He was editor of The High School of Quebec Magazine while in high school, and verse editor of The Brunswickian at UNB, and contributed poetry to both magazines.
Bailey then attended the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, where he earned his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1929. There he became friends with Earle Birney
Earle Birney
Earle Alfred Birney, OC, FRSC was a distinguished Canadian poet and novelist, who twice won the Governor General's Award, Canada's top literary honor, for his poetry.-Life:...
, Ray Daniells, and Robert Finch
Robert Finch (poet)
Robert Duer Claydon Finch was a Canadian poet and academic. He twice won Canada's top literary honor, the Governor General's Award, for his poetry.-Life:...
, and was introduced to the poetry of T.S. Eliot.
After graduating, Bailey worked as a reporter for the Toronto Mail and Empire. He returned to the University of Toronto to receive his Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1934.
He then spent a year on a Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
fellowship studying at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he was introduced to "leftist politics" and the poetry of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
.
From 1935 to 1938, he worked as assistant director and associate curator at the New Brunswick Museum
New Brunswick Museum
The New Brunswick Museum, located in Saint John, New Brunswick is Canada's oldest continuing museum. The New Brunswick Museum was officially incorporated as the "Provincial Museum" in 1929 and received its current name in 1930, but its history goes back much further. Its lineage can be traced back...
in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
.
In 1938, the president of UNB offered to make Bailey the head of a new Department of History if he could talk the provincial government into granting sufficient funding for it. Bailey was successful, and served as head of the new department for 30 years, until 1969.
Bailey instituted colonial American studies at the UNB; as a result a closer liaison developed between its history departments and that of the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
in the 1960s. Visits between scholars from Atlantic Provinces and the University of Maine became frequent after the establishment of the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
- Atlantic Provinces Study Center at Orono
Orono
Orono is the name of three communities:Canada*Orono, Ontario, a town in the Municipality of ClaringtonUnited States*Orono, Maine, a town in Penobscot County, home to the University of Maine*Orono, Minnesota, a city in Hennepin County...
in 1966.
Bailey worked hard at founding a literary community in New Brunswick, founding the Bliss Carman Society. The Society held its meetings at his home, and he kept minutes (including records of all poems). His mimeographed sheets of poems read at Society meetings eventually grew into a new literary magazine, The Fiddlehead, established in 1945 and now Canada's longest-running literary journal.
Alfred Bailey was Honorary Librarian and CEO of the UNB Library from 1946 to 1959. From 1946 to 1964, he was the first Dean of Arts at UNB, and from 1965 to 1969, he was Vice President (Academic). He retired in 1970.
He wrote poetry from college through retirement. His books of poetry include Songs of the Saguenay (1927), Tao (1930), Border River (1952), Thanks for a Drowned Island (1973), and Miramichi Lightning: The Collected Poems of Alfred G. Bailey (1981).
History
Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey is esteemed for his seminal work in ethnohistory, The Conflict of European and Eastern Algonkian Cultures, 1504-1700: A Study in Canadian Civilization , his 1937 doctoral dissertation, republished by the University of Toronto in 1969. "In a sense," says the New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia, "he created the field of ethnohistory in Canada."His essay "Overture to Nationhood" in the Literary History of Canada (1965) (which he helped to edit), and his 1972 collection Culture and Nationality: Essays by A.G. Bailey, confirmed his status as cultural historian.
Poetry
The Canadian Encyclopedia says of his poetry: "From conservative beginnings that echoed strongly the romanticRomantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
tones of late 19th-century verse, Bailey evolved into a contemporary poet whose statement was full of the surrounding reality, whose voice is, at times, deceptively subdued but whose imagination ranged widely and wisely."
Recognition
On retirement, Bailey was appointed Professor Emeritus at UNB. He received three honorary doctorates. He has served on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, the National Library advisory board, and the Governor General's Literary Awards committee.In 1951, Bailey was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
. In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
He is commemorated by the Alfred G. Bailey Poetry Prize, awarded annually by the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick; and by the Alfred G. Bailey Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded annually to a UNB student majoring in history.
Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey has had a formative influence on a generation of younger poets, notably Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, and Robert Gibbs.
Poetry
- Songs of the Saguenay and other poems. Quebec City: Chronicle-Telegraph Publications, 19271927 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* T. S. Eliot enters the Church of England and assumes British citizenship-Canada:...
. - Tao: A Ryerson Poetry Chap Book. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 19301930 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Canada:*Alfred Bailey, Tao: A Ryerson Poetry Chap Book, ....
. - Border River. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 19521952 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* November — The Group British poetry movement of the 1950s and 1960s began at Downing College, Cambridge University, Philip Hobsbaum along with two friends — Tony Davis and Neil Morris...
. - Thanks for a Drowned Island Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 19731973 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Canadian poet and author, Michael Ondaatje adapts his 1970 book of poetry, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, into a play which this year is first produced in Stratford, Ontario; it will appear in...
. - Miramichi Lightning: The Collected Poems of Alfred Bailey. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 19811981 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Jane Greer launched Plains Poetry Journal, an advance guard of the New Formalism movement....
. nominated for a 1981 Governor General's Awards1981 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1981 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Poetry:Winner:*F.R. Scott, The Collected Poems of F.R... - The sun the wind the summer field. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 19961996 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996 as way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.* The movie Dead Man, written and...
.
Prose
- The Conflict of European and Eastern Algonkian Culture 1504-1700: A Study in Canadian Civilization. University of Toronto, 1934; Rpt. (with two chapters omitted) Saint John, 1937; Rpt. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1969.
- Culture and Nationality: Essays by A. G. Bailey. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972.
- “Overture to Nationhood.” The Literary History of Canada. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1976.
- The Letters of James and Ellen Robb: Portrait of a Fredericton Family in Early Victorian Times (1983)
Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work....
.