Peter Busby Waite (July 12, 1922 – August 24, 2020) was a Canadian historian and

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

professor. Waite was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

in July 1922 and attended high school in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

. He obtained B.A. and M.A. degrees from 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 ...

, and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

degree from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. He served with the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, attaining the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. Waite began his association in 1951 with

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

. He taught at Dalhousie first as a lecturer in history (1951–1955), then assistant professor (1955–1960) and finally Thomas McCulloch Professor of History from 1960 until his retirement. Latterly, he was a

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". ...

and lived in Halifax. Waite was an elegant writer, known especially for his analysis of the events leading to Confederation and the subsequent 30 years from 1867 to 1896. His ''Arduous Destiny,'' a history of Canada from 1874 to 1896, was part of The Canadian Centenary Series, a multi-volume project which was commissioned for the centenary of Canadian

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

in 1967. He published biographies of three Conservative Canadian Prime Ministers (Macdonald, Thompson, Bennett). His 1985 biography of Sir

John Sparrow David Thompson Sir John Sparrow David Thompson (November 10, 1845 – December 12, 1894) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Canada from 1892 until his death in 1894. He had previously been fifth premier o ...

, some ten years in the making, remains a thorough and fundamental resource on Thompson. He was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

on October 27, 1993. Waite died in August 2020 at the age of 98.

Publications

Peter Busby Waite's main works include: * ''The Life and times of Confederation 1864-1867'', 1962, Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 3rd ed. Toronto: Robin Brass Studio, . * ''The Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada'', 1963, Ottawa: Carleton University library. 2nd ed. 2006, Montreal, McGill-Queens University Press, . * ''Canada 1874-1896: Arduous Destiny'', 1971, Toronto:

McClelland & Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Random House of Canada, Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. ...

, . * ''Macdonald: His Life and World'', 1975, Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., . * ''The Man from Halifax: Sir John Thompson, Prime Minister'', 1985, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, . * ''Lord of Point Grey: Larry MacKenzie of UBC'', 1987, Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, . * ''Canadian History'', Ottawa 1988, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, Canadian Studies Directorate (Canadian Studies Resource Guides series), . * ''Loner: Three Sketches of the Personal Life and Ideas of

R.B. Bennett Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett (July 3, 1870 – June 26, 1947) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935. Bennett was born in Ho ...

, 1870-1947'', 1992. * ''The Lives of Dalhousie University, Volume I'', 1994, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. * ''The Lives of Dalhousie University, Volume II'', 1998, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. * ''John A. Macdonald'' (Abridged ed. for students), 1999, Markham: Fitzhenry and Whiteside. * ''In Search of R.B. Bennett'', 2012, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waite, Peter Busby 1922 births 2020 deaths 20th-century Canadian historians Canadian male non-fiction writers Academic staff of Dalhousie University Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Historians of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada University of British Columbia alumni University of Toronto alumni Writers from Toronto Presidents of the Canadian Historical Association Royal Canadian Navy personnel of World War II 21st-century Canadian historians