Santa Clara County
Biographies
DOCTOR JOHN WEART WALLACE STERLING
John Ewart Wallace Sterling, fifth president Stanford University was born August 6, 1906 at Linwood, Ontario, Canada, the son of Reverend William and Anna (Wallace) Sterling. Graduating from University of Toronto in 1927 with degree of Bachelor of Arts; he received his Master of Arts at University of Alberta in 1930; Doctor of Philosophy, Stanford University in 1938.
His career as an educator commenced in 1927 as lecturer in history, Regina College, Regina, Saskatchewan which he held through 1928; assistant in history and director of physical education University of Alberta, 1928-30; member research staff, Hoover War Library, 1932-1937; instructor in history 1935-1937 at Stanford University; assistant professor history, California Institute of Technology 1937-1940; associate professor 1940-1942; in 1945 appointed Edward S. Harkness professor history and government and at same time was named a member of the executive committee of the school. During 1941-1944 Doctor Sterling served as secretary of the faculty and during 1944-1946 as chairman of the faculty, both elective posts, Director Huntington Library, San Marino, California 1948-1949 and since 1949, president Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
Fellow, Social Science Research Council 1939-1940; American Geographical Society; member, American Historical, Pacific Coast History, Canadian History, Canadian Political Science Associations and Canadian Institute of International Affairs. He assisted in editing several volumes in the Hoover Library series of publications, was a radio news analyst 1942-1948 and reported the United Nations Conference in San Francisco, California 1945, and is presently engaged in preparation of books on the refugee problem in Canada, British foreign policy since 1783 and “Canada and History,” a volume of the American Foreign Policy Library.
Doctor Sterling retains his interest in athletics since his college days when he played football and basketball at University of Toronto and after graduation was able to finance his to finance his port-graduate studies by coaching both sports.
On August 7, 1930 was married to Miss Ann Marie Shaver and they have three children, William Wallace, Susan Hardy and Judith Robinson.
Family residence is the Lou Henry Hoover House, the former home of President Herbert Hoover on the Stanford Campus which was donated to the University after Mrs. Hoover’s death in 1944 as the residence of the University president.
Offices: Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Eminent
Californians 1953, by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Pages 475-476, C. W. Taylor
Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2014 Joyce Rugeroni.