Daniel Wilson
- There are also several other people known by the name Dan Wilson
- For another Daniel Wilson, see Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta
Sir Daniel Wilson (5 January, 1816 – 6 August, 1892) was a British-born Canadian archaeologist, ethnologist and author.
Wilson was born and educated in Edinburgh, and after acting as secretary of the Edinburgh Society of Antiquaries, went to Toronto as Professor of History and English Literature. He was the author of Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, The Archeology and Pre-historic Annals of Scotland (1851), Civilisation in the Old and the New World, a study on Thomas Chatterton, and Caliban, the Missing Link, etc.
His 1851 publication is credited as being the first use of the term prehistory in English
Daniel Wilson served as president of University College, Toronto from 1880-1892 and as the first president of the federated University of Toronto from 1890-1892. Ironically he opposed the federation of colleges, particularly that of Victoria College, as a "Methodist plot".
Sir Daniel. J. Wilson Residence at the University College in University of Toronto is named in his honor.
This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Ontario Plaques - Sir Daniel Wilson 1816-1892
| Preceded by: John McCaul | President of the University of Toronto 1889-1892 | Succeeded by: James Loudon |
Categories
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature | 1816 births | 1892 deaths | Canadian Anglicans | Canadian archaeologists | Canadian ethnologists | Knights Bachelor | People from Edinburgh | Pre-Confederation Ontario people | Presidents of the University of Toronto | Scottish immigrants to Canada