Stephen Leacock

The best known humorist in the English speaking world, he was also a serious and respected political economist. Born in Swanmore, Hampshire, England, he was educated at Upper Canada College (where he later became a master), and at the University of Toronto. He joined the political science department of McGill in 1903, became its head in 1908, and held that position until his retirement in 1936. A pioneer political economist, he was the author of more than 60 books including such serious works as Elements of Political Science. But it is for Nonsense Novels, Literary Lapses, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town and more than thirty other works of humour translated into languages that include Gujarati and Japanese that he will be best remembered.
Stephen leacock did an amazing thing. He proved to the world and Canadians were capable of laughter.
Before his time, attempts had been made to show that there was no fundamental incompatibility between laughter and the character of the Canadian people, but the world remained unconvinced. All the foreigners could go by was the demeanour of Canadians they met, either in their own country or abroad, and from their experience they judged that the gamut of Canadian expression ranged from glum to downright dour.  Then came Stephen Leacock. The Canadian. Writing funny books. As his funny pieces appeared year after year in American periodicals like Vanity Fair and the old Life, the United States hailed his comic genius. This was the major factor in convincing Canadians that he was in fact a great humorist.