Gustave Lanctot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustave Lanctot
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Gustave Lanctot, front row left, part of the Oxford Canadian Ice Hockey Team
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| Born | 5 July 1883 Saint-Constant, Quebec
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| Died | 2 February 1975 (aged 91) |
| Occupation | historian and archivist |
| Awards | Order of Canada |
Gustave Lanctot (born July 5, 1883 – died February 2, 1975) was an important Canadian historian and archivist. An archivist is someone who collects and preserves historical documents. He spent much of his life studying and writing about Canada's past.
Gustave Lanctot was born in Saint-Constant, Quebec. He first studied law at Université de Montréal and became a lawyer in 1907. Later, he received a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship. This allowed him to study history and political science at Oxford University in England from 1909 to 1911. While at Oxford, he even played on the Oxford Canadians ice hockey team!
In 1912, Gustave Lanctot started working at the National Archives of Canada. This is where Canada keeps its most important historical records. During World War I, he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, which was Canada's military force.
A Career in History
After the war, Gustave Lanctot earned a PhD from the Sorbonne in Paris, France. He then returned to the National Archives of Canada. He worked his way up and became the Dominion Archivist from 1937 to 1948. This was the top job at the National Archives. He also taught history at the University of Ottawa.
Writing About Canada's Past
Gustave Lanctot was a very busy historian. He wrote many books about Canadian history. Some of his famous works include:
- L'Administration de la Nouvelle-France (1929)
- Montréal au temps de la Nouvelle-France, 1642-1760 (1942)
- Histoire du Canada (1963)
His book Histoire du Canada was so good that it won the Governor General's Award for French language non-fiction in 1963. He also won the first-ever Albert B. Corey Prize in 1967 for his book Le Canada et la Révolution américaine. Besides writing, he also helped as a historical advisor for eight Canadian films between 1961 and 1964.
Awards and Recognition
Gustave Lanctot received many honors for his work. In 1926, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. This is a group of Canada's most important scholars and artists. He also won the J. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal for his historical writings. He was even the president of the Royal Society of Canada from 1948 to 1949.
On July 6, 1967, Gustave Lanctot was one of the very first people to receive the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors given to people who have made a big difference. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The award recognized him as a "Renowned historian whose 'Histoire du Canada' marks the culmination of a life devoted to knowledge of Canada's past." He was also made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur, a high honor from France.
