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The Life and Times of George Penrose Woollcombe:Educator
by
Stephen Woollcombe
The biography of a visionary whose life and work exemplifies and reflects that period of Canada’s history. It is the story of an Englishman who came to Canada with the high-minded ambition to educate new generations of citizens with the values of service and effort. On September 16, 1891, G. P. Woollcombe began teaching 17 boys in an upstairs room on Wellington Street, directly across from the Parliament Buildings. Over his next 42 years as headmaster, Ashbury College became part of the fabric of the emerging nation.
With a Foreword by Andrew Cohen, journalist and author. This elegant, intimate and balanced biography at last shows the conversation between Woollcombe’s deeply held values and Canada’s coming of age in the early 20th century. –Andrew Johnston, Professor of History, Carleton University. A must-read for anyone interested in the character of the founding Headmaster and the guiding principles this visionary held dear. An engaging, exciting story of a superb educator devoted to moulding young lives. –Jean Teron, community leader in education.
Stephen Woollcombe is uniquely qualified to write the story of G.P. Woollcombe. As his grandson, he provides personal memories of the man amongst his family, friends and former students. As a researcher and historian, he has collected anecdotal and archival information that provides a comprehensive and factual narrative of an important Canadian educator. The book, he notes, is “a labour of love and curiosity”. As a boy, Stephen attended Ashbury College in Ottawa, the school his grandfather founded. After university studies in Toronto and Quebec City, he followed the family calling to educate and served as a volunteer teacher in India. Subsequently, he enjoyed a long career as a Canadian diplomat, with postings in five continents. In retirement, he taught university courses in Ottawa and Venezuela, has been active in politics at the federal level and engaged in various social concerns in Canada and development work abroad. Now, decades later, Stephen remains close to Ashbury College. His book’s publication coincides with the school’s 125th anniversary.
Contributors
- Author
- Stephen Woollcombe