Professor George W. Egerton (1942-2025) was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received his PhD in History from the University of Minnesota. After teaching for two years at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1972 he accepted an appointment in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia and remained there until his retirement in 2008. He was a dedicated teacher and played an active role in the department, serving as Associate Head for a total of three years in the 1990s. He was also deeply involved in the International Relations program of the Faculty of Arts.
George Egerton’s scholarly interests focused on the history of international organizations in the twentieth century, the analysis of political memoirs, and the role of religion and the development of human rights in modern Canada. His major publications include Great Britain and the Creation of the League of Nations: Strategy, Politics, and International Organization, 1914-1919 (University of North Carolina Press, 1978) and (as editor) Political Memoir: Essays on the Politics of Memory (Routledge, 1994). He also published numerous articles on such subjects as diplomacy and espionage in the First World War, the memoirs of David Lloyd George, and the development of the Canadian Bill of Rights in the Diefenbaker era. During his retirement he researched and wrote on the history of secularism in modern Canada.
George Egerton was a devout Christian and was active in the formation of the Anglican Network in Canada, now known as the Anglican Diocese of Canada. His other interests included the refurbishment of old pianos and, in his retirement years, restoring a 50-foot wooden boat.
George Egerton died unexpectedly on April 25, 2025 in Vancouver, survived by his wife Manya, sister Roseanne, sons Graham (Kathleen) and Hugh, and grandchildren Hannah and Jonah.