John Norman Emerson

John Norman Emerson

John Norman Emerson, professor, archaeologist (b at Toronto 13 Mar 1917; d there 18 Nov 1978). As a Huron-Iroquois specialist, he was the first in Canada to establish a continuing training program for Canadian archaeologists. Educated at the University of Toronto and Chicago, and supervisor of archaeological studies at U of T for 30 years, Emerson was a humanitarian teacher and a socially minded scientist. He firmly believed in the "learn by doing" philosophy of teaching. His prodigious excavations at nearly 50 sites helped expose numerous students and the general public to Ontario archaeology. He founded the modern Ontario Archaeological Society, and helped establish the Canadian Archaeological Association in 1968.