John B. McDiarmid
Encyclopedia
John Brodie McDiarmid was a Canadian academic who played an important role in Canadian Naval Intelligence during World War II
. He was chairman of the Classics Department at the University of Washington
, was the university’s first Professor of Humanities, and was co-founder of the Seattle Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America
.
high school with the highest grades in his class, earning scholarships to the University of Toronto
. McDiarmid took his B.A. in Greek and Latin at Victoria College
, University of Toronto, in 1936, and graduated with honors, recipient of the Kerr’s Cup. He paid his way through school teaching immigrants working on the Frontier Railroad how to speak and read English, and worked as a deckhand on a lake steamer. In 1940, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Greek, with additional two years studies in Sanskrit
and Ancient Languages, from Johns Hopkins University
, Phi Beta Kappa. While at Johns Hopkins he met and later married sculptor Mary Kahn, a graduate of Goucher College
and Arts Students League.
(RCN). After training in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was appointed to Naval Services Headquarters in Ottawa and was assigned to the Operational Intelligence Center (OIC). He headed the RCN U Boat tracking team, charged with defending the North American Atlantic Coast against submarine attacks, and helped develop a system for interpreting and breaking German communication codes. He served under Lieutenant Commander Jean Maurice Barbe Pougnet (Jock) De Marbois, OBE, RD. In 1943, he served aboard the , then, in London he became a member of the British Admiralty Tracking Room team for decryption procedures—part of the force working to break the code of Hitler’s cipher device, the ENIGMA
machine.
As a result of his work in the Admiralty’s OIC, RCN researchers contacted him after the close of the war to gain information about the project. In 1982, in a letter to Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, McDiarmid described the procedures of the until then top secret Admiralty Tracking room. “In the tracking room all signals containing or referring to Special Intelligence were decoded or encoded. No special intelligence ever left the room except to be burned and flushed down the head by an officer of the room; and no chart outside of the room showed more Special Intelligence than was revealed by our daily Secret and Top Secret signals. Admission to the room was severely restricted to those who had a need to know …” McDiarmid retired at the end WWII with the rank of Commander, RCVN.
.
, Princeton, NJ, 1952-53 (at same time as Albert Einstein
) and 1957–58, under the directorship of atomic-bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer; and Guggenheim Fellow, 1957-58. He was a founding member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. As a scholar and an authority on ancient Greece, he wrote and published many articles on its literature and philosophers and was a popular lecturer on these subjects. The University of Washington’s Classics Department lecture series, in which graduate students select the speakers, is called the John and Mary McDiarmid Lectureship. His wife, Mary Kahn McDiarmid, former president of Northwest Sculptors and president of Northwest Bonsai Society, died in 1988.
Integrity and morality were intrinsic to McDiarmid’s nature. Some of his friends called him “John the Good” because he was a very honorable person and would stand up for what he thought was right.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was chairman of the Classics Department at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, was the university’s first Professor of Humanities, and was co-founder of the Seattle Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America
Archaeological Institute of America
The Archaeological Institute of America is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It has offices on the campus of Boston University and in New York City.The institute was founded in 1879,...
.
Early life and education
McDiarmid was born in Toronto, Ontario, the only child of Scottish immigrants. He graduated from Upper Canada CollegeUpper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
high school with the highest grades in his class, earning scholarships to 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...
. McDiarmid took his B.A. in Greek and Latin at Victoria College
Victoria University, Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
, University of Toronto, in 1936, and graduated with honors, recipient of the Kerr’s Cup. He paid his way through school teaching immigrants working on the Frontier Railroad how to speak and read English, and worked as a deckhand on a lake steamer. In 1940, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Greek, with additional two years studies in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Ancient Languages, from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Phi Beta Kappa. While at Johns Hopkins he met and later married sculptor Mary Kahn, a graduate of Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
and Arts Students League.
Wartime exerience
In 1942, during WWII, McDiarmid, joined the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
(RCN). After training in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was appointed to Naval Services Headquarters in Ottawa and was assigned to the Operational Intelligence Center (OIC). He headed the RCN U Boat tracking team, charged with defending the North American Atlantic Coast against submarine attacks, and helped develop a system for interpreting and breaking German communication codes. He served under Lieutenant Commander Jean Maurice Barbe Pougnet (Jock) De Marbois, OBE, RD. In 1943, he served aboard the , then, in London he became a member of the British Admiralty Tracking Room team for decryption procedures—part of the force working to break the code of Hitler’s cipher device, the ENIGMA
Enigma
An enigma is a type of riddle generally expressed in radical or allegorical language that requires ingenuity and careful thought for its solution.Enigma, aenigma, or enigmatic may also refer to:-Music:...
machine.
As a result of his work in the Admiralty’s OIC, RCN researchers contacted him after the close of the war to gain information about the project. In 1982, in a letter to Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, McDiarmid described the procedures of the until then top secret Admiralty Tracking room. “In the tracking room all signals containing or referring to Special Intelligence were decoded or encoded. No special intelligence ever left the room except to be burned and flushed down the head by an officer of the room; and no chart outside of the room showed more Special Intelligence than was revealed by our daily Secret and Top Secret signals. Admission to the room was severely restricted to those who had a need to know …” McDiarmid retired at the end WWII with the rank of Commander, RCVN.
University of Washington
McDiarmid returned to Johns Hopkins to a teaching position in the Classics Department, where he served from 1945-49. In 1949, he accepted the position as the first chairman in the newly reorganized Classics Department at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He remained chairman of the Department until 1973. He was instrumental in the rapid growth of the department and in reorganizing its curriculum. He played a key role in the formation of the Classics Department graduate program. He was the first University of Washington Professor of Humanities in 1977-78. He and provost Solomon Katz founded the Seattle chapter of the Archaeological Institute of AmericaArchaeological Institute of America
The Archaeological Institute of America is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It has offices on the campus of Boston University and in New York City.The institute was founded in 1879,...
.
Achievements and awards
McDiarmid’s other honors and achievements include membership in the Institute for Advanced StudyInstitute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
, Princeton, NJ, 1952-53 (at same time as Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
) and 1957–58, under the directorship of atomic-bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer; and Guggenheim Fellow, 1957-58. He was a founding member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. As a scholar and an authority on ancient Greece, he wrote and published many articles on its literature and philosophers and was a popular lecturer on these subjects. The University of Washington’s Classics Department lecture series, in which graduate students select the speakers, is called the John and Mary McDiarmid Lectureship. His wife, Mary Kahn McDiarmid, former president of Northwest Sculptors and president of Northwest Bonsai Society, died in 1988.
Integrity and morality were intrinsic to McDiarmid’s nature. Some of his friends called him “John the Good” because he was a very honorable person and would stand up for what he thought was right.
Works
McDiarmid’s published works included:- “Theophrastus on the Eternity of the World,” Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association. 71:239-247, 1940.
- “Note on Heraclitus Fragment 124,” American Journal of Philology, 62:492 –494. October 1941.
- “Euripides’ Ion 1561,” American Journal of Philology, 68:86-87. January 1947.
- “Theophrastus on the Presocratic Causes,” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology. 61: 85-156. 1953.
- “Biographical Tradition of the Presocratics,” In mimeograph to the membership of the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy for their 1955 annual meeting, at which the paper was presented and discussed.
- “Phantom Words in Democritean Terminology.” Hermes. 86:291-298. November 1958.
- “Theophrastus,” De Sensibus 66, Democritus’ Explanation of Salimity.” American Journal of Philology. 80:56-66. January 1959.
- “Plato and Theophrastus’ De Sensibus.” Phronesis. 4:59-70. 1959.
- “Theophrastus De Sensibus 61-62: Democratus’ Theory of Weight.” Classical Philology . 55:28-30. January 1960.
- “The Manuscript Tradition of Theophrastus’ De Sensibus.” Archiv fur Geschichte der Philosophie. 44:1-32. Heft 1, 1962.
- “Theophrastus on the Presocratic Causes.” pp. 178–238 in Studies in Presocratic Philosophy, Vol I. The Beginnings of Philosophy. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. New York, The Humanities Press. 1970. Part of a book in the series: International Library of Philosophy and Scientific Method.