Goldwin Smith
Goldwin Smith (1823-1910) was a notable British-Canadian educator, journalist, and historian, originally from Berkshire, England. He excelled academically at Oxford, eventually becoming a professor and advocate for university reform, contributing significantly to changes at Oxford University, including the abolition of the celibacy condition for tenured professors. After experiencing personal tragedy with the suicide of his father, Smith relocated to the United States in 1868, taking a position at Cornell University. However, he resigned in protest against the university's decision to admit women. Smith later moved to Toronto, Canada, where he married Harriet Elizabeth Mann and became a prominent literary figure, writing for various publications and founding several others. His influence extended into public education reform in Canada, serving as president of the Ontario Teachers' Association. Throughout his life, Smith was committed to civic improvements and social issues, leaving a lasting legacy in both education and journalism. He passed away in 1910, and his estate was bequeathed to Cornell University, while his home became a public art museum in Toronto.
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Goldwin Smith
Journalist
- Born: August 13, 1823
- Birthplace: Reading, England
- Died: June 7, 1910
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Biography
Goldwin Smith, a nineteenth century educator, journalist, and author, was born in Berkshire, England. His father was Richard Pritchard Smith, a physician and wealthy railway investor. Smith received his undergraduate education at both Christ’s Church and Magdalene College in Oxford. He graduated first in his class and became a Stowell Law Professor at University College, Oxford.
While teaching in Oxford, Smith became agitated with clerical authority and began promoting university reform. In 1850, Smith was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Royal Commission, which was in charge of effecting reform at Oxford University. In 1858, the Royal Commission succeeded in implementing several reforms, including the abolition of celibacy as a condition of tenure. That same year, Smith was appointed to the prestigious position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University. In this position, Smith published five volumes of his lectures on modern history.
Smith remained at Oxford University until 1866, when he left to care for his father who had been permanently injured in a railway accident. While under his care, Smith’s father committed suicide. The tragedy of his father’s death led to Smith’s departure from England.
In 1868, Smith moved to the United States and settled in New York, where he served as a professor at Cornell University. In addition to his academic career at Cornell, Smith became a reviewer for The Times and The Saturday Review. His success with these newspapers inspired him to publish numerous essays on political topics. These essays were collected and published in 1893 under the title of Essays on Questions of the Day.
Smith continued teaching at Cornell until 1869, when he left his position in protest of a new policy that allowed for the admittance of women into the university. After leaving New York, Smith relocated to Toronto, Canada, where in 1875 he married Harriet Elizabeth Mann, a wealthy widow. They lived at Mann’s estate, referred to as The Grange.
Smith’s marriage was happy and his new life fostered his ambitions as a writer and journalist. He contributed articles to several publications, including The Atlantic Monthly, The Sun, and The Nation. Smith became editor of Canadian Monthly and founded numerous publications, including The Bystander and The Toronto Week. His literary achievements established his reputation as the intellectual voice of Canada.
In 1874, Smith was elected to the Council of Public Instruction, which was commissioned to reform Canadian public schools. His success in this capacity led to his election as president of the Ontario Teachers’ Association. In his later years, Smith devoted both time and money to civic affairs. He fought for the extension of public parks for recreation, worked to rectify poverty and unemployment, and founded the Associated City Charities of Toronto.
In 1910, less than a year after his wife’s death, Goldwin Smith died at the age of eighty-seven. The Grange, the home that they shared, was donated to the city of Toronto as a public art museum. Smith left his substantial fortune to Cornell University.