Douglas Cole

Who was Douglas Cole?

Douglas Lowell Cole was a Canadian historian specializing in art and cultural history, particularly the cultures of Northwest Pacific Coast.

Douglas Cole was born at Coulee Dam, Washington. His father was a construction worker and labor union activist. His mother taught elementary school. Cole graduated from Whitman College, obtained an MA in international relations from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington. In 1966, he started teaching history at Simon Fraser University near Vancouver, British Columbia, where he ultimately became Chair of the History Department from 1978 to 1980 and President of the Faculty Association from 1986 to 1988.

As a student, Canada was the focus of both Cole's master's thesis and his doctoral dissertation. He originally specialized in diplomatic and political history, but later became fascinated by the cultural history of the Northwest Pacific coast. Cole was among the first scholars to write on the history of art, literature, and intellectual thought in settler society.