Eugene Benson fonds

During his academic career at the University of Guelph, Dr. Eugene Benson was a popular English professor, eventually retiring with the designation of University Professor Emeritus. During his time as a professor, Dr. Benson actively helped to publish such titles as: The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre, English Canadian Drama, and the Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English. He has also made a name for himself as an author, playwright and librettist. He was born in Northern Ireland in 1929, and married Dr. Renate Niklaus Benson in 1968. He has two sons, Shaun and Ormande; Shaun is a professional actor in Los Angeles and Ormande is a Corporate Lawyer in Toronto. Dr. Benson obtained his B.A. from the National University of Ireland, his M.A. from the University of Western Ontario, and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. His Operatic works include Heloise and Abelard, which was performed by the Canadian Opera Company, Everyman, which was performed at the Stratford Festival, Psycho Red, performed at the Guelph Spring Festival, and most recently Earnest: The Importance of Being and The Auction: A Folk Opera, which debuted at the Toronto Operetta Theatre, and Westben Arts Festival Theatre respectively. Dr. Benson was the President of the Guelph Spring Festival, while concurrently serving as its director from 1968-1986. He served as the Chair of the Writers' Union of Canada from 1983-1984, and it's Co-President from 1984-1985. From 1985-1989, Dr. Benson also served as the Vice-President of PEN Canada.