Mary Quayle Innis
Mary Quayle Innis was an accomplished American-Canadian author and scholar, born on April 13, 1899, in St. Mary's, Ohio. She was the daughter of Effie and Frederick Quayle, whose work in telephone installation led the family to various cities before they settled in Wilmette, Illinois. Innis excelled academically at New Trier High School and later attended the University of Chicago, where she studied English and met her future husband, economist Harold Adams Innis, whom she married in 1921. After moving to Canada, Innis contributed significantly to her husband's scholarly work, including co-authoring "An Economic History of Canada" and producing several educational texts.
In addition to her collaborative efforts, she published short stories and a semiautobiographical novel, "Stand on a Rainbow," which humorously depicts family life during challenging times. Following her husband's death in 1952, Innis took on leadership roles, including serving as the dean of women at University College and engaging in community education initiatives. Her later works included historical accounts for women's organizations and collections highlighting the contributions of Canadian women. Innis received honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of her academic contributions and is now celebrated as an independent scholar in her own right. She passed away on January 10, 1972, leaving behind a legacy that intertwines her life experiences with her literary output.
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Subject Terms
Mary Quayle Innis
Author
- Born: April 13, 1899
- Birthplace: St. Mary's, Ohio
- Died: January 10, 1972
Biography
Mary Quayle Innis was born on April 13, 1899, in St. Mary’s, Ohio, the daughter of Effie and Frederick Quayle. Her father established a telephone installation service in the early twentieth century, and as a result of his work the family lived in several cities in the United States before establishing a permanent residence in Wilmette, Illinois. Here, Innis attended New Trier High School, where she excelled in her studies and received prizes for her compositions. She attended the University of Chicago from 1915 to 1919, pursuing a degree in English. While there, she attracted the attention of a young economics professor, Harold Adams Innis. The couple wed in 1921 and settled in Canada, where Harold began his lifelong career as a professor in the political economy department at the University of Toronto. In a span of ten years, the couple had four children, Donald, Mary, Hugh, and Anne.
As a researcher, editor, and typist, Innis contributed to her renowned husband’s numerous projects. The two conducted research for An Economic History of Canada, which Mary wrote and Harold assigned as the primary text for his similarly titled college course. She composed two more histories for classroom use: the two-volume Changing Canada and Living in Canada. She also wrote short stories published in the popular Canadian Forum and Saturday Night. Innis reworked a number of her short stories as chapters in her semiautobiographical novel Stand on a Rainbow. Reflecting its author’s experiences as wife and mother, the novel chronicles the humorous and poignant adventures of a family on vacation during the uncertain war years.
The Innis’ collaborative projects continued until 1952, when Harold died of cancer. Rather than endure a reclusive widowhood, Innis entered the workforce. She was the dean of women at University College from 1955 until 1964 and later served on the Committee on Religious Education in the Public Schools. Her work with women’s organizations led to more publications, including Unfold the Years: A History of the Young Women’s Christian Association in Canada. She later edited two collections that appeared in 1970: The Clear Spirit: Twenty Canadian Women and Their Times for the Canadian Federation of University Women and Nursing Education in a Changing Society for the University of Toronto School of Nursing. She revised her husband’s Empire and Communications for republication before she died on January 10, 1972.
In recognition of her accomplishments in research and writing, Innis received honorary doctorate degrees from both Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo. Formerly consigned to the rank of helpmate of her influential husband, Innis is now recognized by critics as an independent scholar and author of note based on her own merits and contributions. Whether historical or fictional, her writings reflect her chosen life in her adopted homeland of Canada.