George Francis Gillman Stanley

George Francis Gillman Stanley, historian, educator, lt-gov of NB (b at Calgary, Alta 6 July 1907; d at Sackville, NB, 13 Sept 2002). Educated at U of A and Oxford (as a Rhodes Scholar), Stanley was a professor and administrator at Mount Allison 1936-40 and 1969-75, UBC 1947-49 and RMC 1949-69. He served in WWII, becoming an invaluable aide to C.P. Stacey and retiring in 1946 as deputy director of the army's historical section.

His first book, The Birth of Western Canada (1936), combined his passion for the West with an appreciation of the importance of military factors; later he wrote a sympathetic biography of Louis Riel (1963). Other major works are Canada's Soldiers (1954), New France: The Last Phase (1968), Canada Invaded 1775-1776 (1973), The War of 1812: Land Operations (1983) and Battle in the Dark: Stoney Creek, June 6, 1813 (1991). Stanley's books often ran counter to the conventional histories of their time, especially in their sensitivity to the rights of French Canada and the Métis.

In 1964 Stanley wrote to the committee in charge of finding a design for a new Canadian flag, arguing for a design that would be simple enough for children to draw. The sketch that he included at the bottom of his memo was unanimously approved by the committee.

Stanley was lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick from 1982 to 1987. For 10 years (1982-92) he was Honorary Colonel of the Royal New Brunswick Regiment. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Canada and in 1995 he was promoted to the rank of Companion within the order.