New Wilson Chair in Canadian History says it’s time for historians to join public dialogue

Influential Canadian historian Ian McKay has been appointed as McMaster University’s L.R. Wilson Chair in Canadian History, where he will make a priority of connecting historians to one another — and to all Canadians.

“I think it’s time to change the channel on how the public sees the historian,” McKay says. “I think historians have a great deal to contribute to the public discussion.”

McKay, who takes on the role after the retirement of Viv Nelles, comes to McMaster from Queen’s University, where he has been teaching since 1988. McKay specializes in political and social history of the 19th and 20th centuries and is the author of numerous highly cited books and articles.