Photo courtesy of the Canadian
Studies Center
W.A. Douglas Jackson, founder of Canadian Studies at the University of Washington, died March 9 at the age of 85. He directed the Canadian Studies Center for more than 12 years and spearheaded a national resource center on Canada at the UW and Western Washington University. A scholar of diverse interests, Jackson joined the UW geography department and the Far Eastern and Russian Institute in 1955. He served for several years as associate director of Russian and East European Studies. Jackson wrote numerous books on geopolitics, and was also an accomplished classical pianist with a degree from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, his hometown. He liked to entertain guests with performances on a Steinway grand piano. In honor of his 80th birthday, the Canadian Studies Center established the Douglas Jackson Scholarship Fund to support undergraduate research on Canada and study-in-Canada opportunities. Contributions may be sent to the Canadian Studies Center, Box 353650, UW, Seattle, WA 98195.