# Desmond Morton, historian and McGill University professor, dies at 81



## Blackadder1916 (5 Sep 2019)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/desmond-morton-historian-1.5271672


> Desmond Morton, historian and McGill University professor, dies at 81
> 
> Author who chronicled Canada's history remembered for intellect, sense of humour
> 
> ...


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## exspy (5 Sep 2019)

I took Professor Morton's Canada and War course while he was teaching at the U of T in Mississauga. I believe he was President of Erindale College at the time. This would have been about 1985. I was a part-time student and on the verge of dropping out, but he convinced to stay and gave me some freedom on an essay deadline. I finished and passed the course. A great man and a veritable walking dictionary of Canadian military history. His other passion was Canadian socialist history. He was unashamedly left of centre, and alternated his published works between military subjects and the social history of Canada.

He was a great-grandson of Sir William Dillon Otter, of whom he wrote a biography. Dillon was also Professor Morton's middle name. His father, REA Morton, was temporarily promoted to Major-General and placed in command of the peacekeeping mission to Indo-China after the French-Indochina War. REA Morton was also late of the Fort Garry Horse which led to Professor Morton sitting as a member of the FGH executive committee.

Professor Morton's uncle, ROG Morton, was the CRA of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division that Major-General Simonds fired in Italy. ROG Morton had a successful post-war career and was promoted to Major-General.

Professor Morton's military service was in the RCASC, just like another RMC graduate who became a military historian, Jack Granatstein. Morton retired in 1964 with the rank of Captain.

While not the first RMC graduate to obtain a Rhodes scholarship, he was the first to attain one while still enrolled at the College. This was done without the technicality of his receiving a BA from the College.

Just a few pieces of trivia I've learned over the years about a person I was proud to say I had met.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## Strike (6 Sep 2019)

Although I was an engineering student at RMC, like everyone else, history was one of those topics that was mandatory for the first 2 years and an option for an arts elective in the last two. I vividly remember the textbooks we used specifically because of how well they were written and how much they pulled the reader in. They were all textbooks written by Morton. He had an ability to turn a history book into an interesting story and I found myself reading ahead sometimes.

I never had the pleasure of meeting the man but his work did have an impact on me.


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## daftandbarmy (6 Sep 2019)

Strike said:
			
		

> Although I was an engineering student at RMC, like everyone else, history was one of those topics that was mandatory for the first 2 years and an option for an arts elective in the last two. I vividly remember the textbooks we used specifically because of how well they were written and how much they pulled the reader in. They were all textbooks written by Morton. He had an ability to turn a history book into an interesting story and I found myself reading ahead sometimes.
> 
> I never had the pleasure of meeting the man but his work did have an impact on me.



The most important part of History is the story. Historians, like Morton, intrinsically understand that fact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXbi_H064yU


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