Marshall McLuhan: Biography (Life and Career) Kevin Shen

Marshall McLuhan Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist. McLuhan's work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory.

Basic Information “Marshall” was a family name Both parents, Elsie Naomi and Herbert Ernest McLuhan were born in Canada Has a younger brother, Maurice Born on July 21, 1911, Edmonton, Albert Dead on December 31, 1980 (aged 69), Toronto, Ontario

Childhood and Education The McLuhan family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1915 where Marshall grew up Enrolled in the University of Manitoba in 1928 Earned a BA (1933) in Arts and Sciences and MA (1934) in English from the University of Manitoba.

Education (cont’d) Marshall had long desired to pursue graduate studies in England and finally was accepted for enrollment at the University of Cambridge. He received his bachelor's degree from Cambridge in 1936 and began graduate work.

Grad Studies Marshall was influenced by New Criticism Later, he returned from England to take a job as a teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison While studying at Cambridge, McLuhan converted to Roman Catholicism in 1937 From 1937 to 1944 he taught English at Saint Louis University Marshall was awarded a Ph.D. in December 1943

Marriage and Family While in St. Louis, Marshall also met his future wife. On August 4, 1939, McLuhan married teacher and aspiring actress Corinne Lewis They had six children: Eric, twins Mary and Teresa, Stephanie, Elizabeth and Michael War had broken out in Europe while the McLuhans were in England, the McLuhans returned to Saint Louis University in 1940 where he continued teaching and they started a family.

Life in Canada Returning to Canada, from 1944 to 1946 McLuhan taught at Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario Moving to Toronto in 1946, McLuhan joined the faculty of St. Michael's College, a Catholic college of the University of Toronto In the early 1950s, McLuhan began the Communication and Culture seminars, funded at the University of Toronto

Life in Canada (cont’d) The University of Toronto created the Centre for Culture and Technology in 1963 in order to keep Marshall at the university He published his first major work during this period: The Mechanical Bride (1951) was an examination of the effect of advertising on society and culture He also produced an important journal, Explorations, with Edmund Carpenter, throughout the 1950s and they have been characterized as the Toronto School of communication theory

Life in Canada (cont’d) McLuhan remained at the University of Toronto through 1979, spending much of this time as head of his Centre for Culture and Technology McLuhan was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 1969; it was treated successfully. He returned to Toronto where for the rest of his life, he worked at the University of Toronto and lived in Wychwood Park, a bucolic enclave on a hill overlooking the downtown

Life in Canada (cont’d) In 1970, McLuhan was made a Companion of the Order of Canada In 1975 the University of Dallas hosted him from April to May, appointing him the McDermott Chair

The Last Days of Life In September 1979 he suffered a stroke, which affected his ability to speak He never fully recovered from the stroke and died in his sleep on December 31, 1980

Major Works The Mechanical Bride (1951) The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962) Understanding Media (1964) The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (1967) War and Peace in the Global Village (1968) From Cliché to Archetype (1970)

Works Cited Gordon, Terrence. "Marshall McLuhan." The Official Site of Marshall McLuhan. Quiet PC, June Web. 17 Apr "Marshall McLuhan." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 16 Apr Web. 17 Apr