Lawrence J BurpeeLawrence Johnstone Burpee was a Canadian librarian, historian, and author, born on March 5, 1873, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He moved to Ottawa at a young age, where he worked as a private secretary to three federal ministers of justice from 1890 to 195. From 1905 to 1912, Burpee served as the librarian at the Ottawa Public Library before becoming the Canadian Secretary of the International Joint Commission in 1912, a position he held until his death. Throughout his career, Burpee contributed significantly to Canadian historical and geographical scholarship. He was a founding member of the Canadian Historical Association in 1922 and served as its first president until 1925. He also held the presidency of the Royal Society of Canada in 1936-37. Burpee was the founding editor of the Canadian Geographical Journal and published numerous works focused on Canadian history and geography. In 1931, he was awarded the J. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal by the Royal Society of Canada. Burpee was also an advocate for various causes, including the establishment of a national library and Polish independence. Read More Read Less