William Christian

A graduate of the University of Toronto in political science and economics, William Christian completed his Ph.D. in political philosophy at the London School of Economics in 1970. His first teaching position was at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, not far from where Parkin spent his childhood. While at Mount Allison he met George Grant, author of Lament for a Nation and perhaps Canada's most famous political philosopher.
Grant and Christian became friends, and after Grant's death his widow, Sheila, suggested that Christian write her late husband's biography. The book was a national best-seller. During his research, Christian became fascinated by Sir George Parkin, Grant's maternal grandfather, proponent of a movement called imperial federation and founding secretary of the Rhodes Scholarships. Academically, Christian's biography of Parkin continues his study of Canadian political thought, a field in which he is recognized as a pre-eminent expert.
The lively style of this biography reflects Christian's lifelong involvement with journalism, from the student newspaper at the University of Toronto to the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. He writes a regular column for the Waterloo Region Record and the Guelph Mercury.
He retired from the University of Guelph in 2008.