Oswald Hall

HALL, Oswald, PhD, LLD, FRSC (18 January 1908 - 31 August 2007) Born in Lily Plains, northern rural Saskatchewan, and one of nine children, Oswald came to be one of the early members of the sociological profession in Canada. He studied at Queen's, McGill and Chicago, and taught at Brown and McGill where he served 16 years, many as chairman. Following a visiting professorship at Tulane University he joined the faculty at the University of Toronto in 1956. His primary practical research interests centred on the sociology of work and the professions, especially medicine, focusing on doctors, chiropractors and paramedical specialties. His career found him moving between the worlds of academe and government policy, and he served on both the Royal Commission on Health Services and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. After retiring from the University of Toronto, he held sessional appointments with the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary, the University of Waterloo, the University of Guelph, Trent University and Memorial University. He enjoyed a rich and rewarding career of teaching and research in the early years of what was then an exciting and new area of academic endeavour. His colleagues and students throughout Canada honoured him with a series of published papers. His contribution to the development of sociology and Canada were also recognized through the awarding of an honorary doctorate by the University of Carleton, and membership in the Royal Society of Canada. Predeceased by his wife Florence Hall (nee Tanner). He is survived by his sister Kathleen Hamilton, his son Frank, daughter Mona (Browne), granddaughter Christina Hall, and many nephews and nieces and their children. His intellect, presence and humour are now gone, and it has created a void.