Leonard Marsh
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Leonard Charles Marsh (September 24, 1906 – May 10, 1983) was a Canadian
social scientist Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...
and
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
.


Early life and education

Marsh was born in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and graduated from the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
in 1928. After graduation, he studied wages and housing and conducted research for
Sir William Beveridge William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was a Progressivism, progressive, social reformer, and eugenicist who played a central role ...
.


Move to Canada

Marsh moved to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
in 1930, after being hired as a Director of Social Research at
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
. McGill was taking part in two American-funded research projects at the time, the Canadian Frontiers of Settlement Project and the Social Science Research Project. Marsh was hired through a grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
and named project director for the SSRP. While Director, Marsh published several books on employment in Canada, including ''Health and Unemployment'' in 1938. The pivotal text to emerge from Marsh's role as project director was ''Canadians In and Out of Work; A Survey of Economic Classes and Their Relation to the Labour Market'' in 1940.


Subsequent career

Leonard Marsh joined the
League for Social Reconstruction The League for Social Reconstruction (LSR) was a circle of Canadian socialists officially formed in 1932. The group advocated for social and economic reformation as well as political education. The formation of the LSR was provoked by events suc ...
in 1932 and served as president for two terms, 1937–1938 and 1938–1939. With
Harry Cassidy Harry Cassidy (1900–1951) was a Canadian academic, social reformer, civil servant and, briefly, a politician. Cassidy was born on January 8, 1900, to parents Herbert Cassidy and Maria Morris Cassidy, transplanted Maritimers who ran a general st ...
, he edited the League's key publication, ''Social Planning for Canada'', which was published in 1935. ''Canadians In and Out of Work'' was one of the first significant works to analyse class in Canada and remained the most comprehensive study of the subject until John Porter's release of The Vertical Mosaic. The work was not well received by the business community. Marsh and the Social Science Research Project proved to be an irritant to the university and funders and funding was not renewed when the grant ran out in 1940. Leonard Marsh went on to be named research director for the Federal Government's Advisory Committee on Reconstruction under chair
Frank Cyril James Frank Cyril James (October 8, 1903 – May 3, 1973) was a Canadian academic and principal of McGill University from 1939 to 1962. Biography Born in London, England, he won a Sir Ernest Cassel Travelling Scholarship that allowed him to study ...
in 1941. In early December 1942, the
British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
released the
Beveridge Report The Beveridge Report, officially entitled ''Social Insurance and Allied Services'' ( Cmd. 6404), is a government report, published in November 1942, influential in the founding of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It was drafted by the Lib ...
which called for the creation of a postwar
welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...
. It was popular in Canada which led
Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...
, the Liberal prime minister, to ask James and Marsh to prepare a similar report for Canada in mid-December. Marsh took on the task immediately and with the help of several staff members he was able to complete a draft report in just three months. The ''Report on Social Security for Canada'' was submitted to Parliament on March 15, 1943. It called for the establishment of a broad range of social assistance, social insurance and public welfare programs. It subsequently became known colloquially known as "The Marsh Report". Despite the favourable publicity it received in 1943, the report was largely ignored in the short term. Some have even postulated that it was a source of embarrassment for the King government. In the longer-term many of the Marsh Report's recommendations would come into being in the postwar years. For this reason it is often referred to a blueprint for the development of the Canadian welfare state. He left the Advisory Committee to become welfare adviser to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Relief and Rehabilitation Administration from 1944-46. Marsh was hired by the
University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
's School of Social Work in 1947. In 1959, he was named Director of Research. Marsh joined the Faculty of Education in 1964 as a professor of Educational Sociology. He retired in 1972 and was named
Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...
the same year.


Notable works

*''Health and Unemployment: Some Studies of Their Relationships.'' Published for McGill University by Oxford University Press, 1938. *''Canadians In and Out of Work; A Survey of Economic Classes and Their Relation to the Labour Market.'' Published for McGill University by the Oxford University Press, 1940. *''Report on Social Security for Canada.'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1975. *''Rebuilding A Neighbourhood; Report on a Demonstration Slum-Clearance and Urban Rehabilitation Project in a Key Central Area in Vancouver''. Vancouver, University of British Columbia, 1950. *''Communities in Canada: Selected Sources''. Toronto: McClelland, 1970. With the League for Social Reconstruction *League for Social Reconstruction, Research Committee. ''Social Planning for Canada.'' Toronto: T. Nelson, 1935. *League for Social Reconstruction, Research Committee. ''Democracy Needs Socialism.'' Toronto: T. Nelson, 1938.


Notes


References

*Horn, Michiel. ''League for Social Reconstruction: Intellectual Origins of the Democratic Left in Canada 1930-1942.'' Toronto: University of Toronto., 1980. *Maioni, Antonia. "New Century, New Risks: The Marsh Report and the Post-War Welfare State in Canada." ''Policy Options''. August, 2004.


External links


Leonard Marsh
at
The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

UBC Archives on Leonard Marsh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Leonard Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 20th-century Canadian social scientists Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Alumni of the London School of Economics 1906 births 1983 deaths British emigrants to Canada