W. C. J. Meredith
Canadian lawyer, dean, and amateur radio enthusiast.
William Campbell James Meredith (1904–1960), known professionally as W. C. J. Meredith, was a Canadian lawyer, author of three legal textbooks, and dean of McGill University’s law faculty from 1950 until his death. In 1951, he established McGill’s Institute of Air Space Law and made the forward-looking choice to appoint John Cobb Cooper as its director.
Born in Montreal on February 6, 1904, he was the only child of Frederick Edmund Meredith and Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet. His grandfather was the jurist William Collis Meredith. He attended Summer Fields School, Wellington College, and Trinity College, Cambridge, and spent a year studying at the University of Grenoble. A recognized litigation expert, he became a senior partner in his father’s law firm and was appointed King’s Counsel in 1942. The government selected him as special federal prosecutor in the trial of Fred Rose. He served as governor of Selwyn House School and Bishop’s University. In 1950, John Wilson McConnell, then governor of McGill, persuaded him to become dean of the law faculty, a role he held until his death.
He married Marie-Berthe-Louise-Francoise Martin in 1935; they had one son and divorced on November 14, 1949, by a private act of Parliament (13 Geo. VI. c. 154). Outside the law, he was an amateur radio enthusiast, enjoyed tennis and skiing, and in his youth belonged to the Montreal Hunt. He died in Montreal in 1960 and is buried at Mount Royal Cemetery. McGill’s Meredith Memorial Lectures are named in his honor.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- William Campbell James Meredith
- Birth Date
- 1904-02-06
- Birth Place
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Occupation
- Lawyer · legal scholar
- Title
- Dean of Law at McGill University (1950–1960)
- Spouse
- Marie-Berthe-Louise-Francoise Martin (1935–1949)
- Parents
- Frederick Edmund Meredith · Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet
- Alma Mater
- Trinity College, Cambridge
- Discipline
- Law
- Workplaces
- McGill University
- Main Interests
- Automobile accident law · criminal insanity · medical malpractice
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Meredith was born in Montreal, the only son of Frederick Edmund Meredith and Anne Madeleine VanKoughnet, and grandson of jurist William Collis Meredith. He was educated in England at Summer Fields School, Wellington College, and Trinity College, Cambridge, with a year at the University of Grenoble in France. Considered an expert in litigation, he became a senior partner in his father's law firm and was made a King's Counsel in 1942. He served as special federal prosecutor at the trial of Fred Rose and was governor of Selwyn House School and Bishop's University. In 1950, John Wilson McConnell, Governor of McGill University, persuaded him to become Dean of Law at McGill, a position he held until his death. Privately, he was an amateur radio enthusiast who enjoyed tennis and skiing, and in his early years had been a member of the Montreal Hunt.
Reader's Guide
Meredith's legacy is anchored in his creation of McGill's Institute of Air Space Law in 1951, a pioneering academic unit that anticipated the growing importance of aviation and space law. His hiring of John Cobb Cooper to head the institute demonstrated foresight in a then-nascent field. As Dean of the McGill University Faculty of Law from 1950 to 1960, he oversaw the faculty during a period of post-war development. His three legal texts—on insanity as a criminal defence, civil law on automobile accidents in Quebec, and malpractice liability of doctors and hospitals—reflect his expertise in litigation and Quebec civil law. The Meredith Memorial Lectures at McGill University are named in his memory, perpetuating his contribution to legal scholarship. His private life as an amateur radio enthusiast adds a personal dimension to his professional achievements.
Did You Know?
- He was divorced by a private act of Parliament on 14 November 1949.
- He was an amateur radio enthusiast who also enjoyed tennis and skiing.
More in Amateur Radio People, Part 2 1-24
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