George R. (George Robert) Parkin

Born in New Brunswick in 1846, George Robert Parkin became one of Canada’s best-known school leaders and public speakers. He studied at the University of New Brunswick and went on to a long career in education, most notably as headmaster of Fredericton Collegiate School and later principal of Upper Canada College in Toronto.

Parkin was also a powerful advocate for closer links among Britain and its colonies. Through lectures and writing, he argued that education should prepare young people for public service and leadership. His ideas attracted the attention of Cecil Rhodes, and Parkin played an important part in shaping and organizing the Rhodes Scholarships in their early years.

He was knighted for his public service and remained an influential voice in education and imperial affairs until his death in 1922. Today he is remembered both as a major Canadian educator and as a figure closely connected with one of the world’s most famous scholarship programs.