author
John Dearness
1852–1954
A self-taught Canadian naturalist who turned a life in education into a remarkable second career in science, he became one of the country’s early leaders in botany and mycology. His work on fungi and plant diseases helped earn him an international reputation.
2 Audiobooks
Fourth Reader: The Alexandra Readers
by W. A. (William Albert) McIntyre, John Dearness, John C. (John Cameron) Saul
Third Reader: The Alexandra Readers
by W. A. (William Albert) McIntyre, John Dearness, John C. (John Cameron) Saul
About the author
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, on May 13, 1852, he grew up in rural Ontario and trained as a teacher at the Toronto Normal School. Much of his working life was spent in education, including years as a school inspector and later as vice-principal of the London Normal School in London, Ontario.
Alongside that career, he built a serious scientific life largely through self-directed study. He became known as a botanist and especially as a mycologist, publishing important work on Canadian fungi and plant diseases and helping establish a stronger foundation for those fields in Canada. Later sources describe him as the first Canadian-born mycologist to gain broad international recognition.
His long life brought wide respect in both education and science. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from The University of Western Ontario in 1926, the King’s Jubilee Medal in 1935, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1936. He died in London, Ontario, on December 6, 1954, at the age of 102.