Robert Pollock Glasgow

Biography
Robert Pollock Glasgow was a Canadian-born bookseller and publisher.

He was born September 3, 1875 near Shipton, Quebec, the son of William Glasgow and Helen Tough. "Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVNP-LQY : 2 March 2021), Robert Glasgow in household of William Glasgow, Shipton Township, Richmond, Quebec, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Database with images. Ancestry. (www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing William Glasgow, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. In 1897 he married Louise Campbell Barter in Fredericton, New Brunswick "Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBF-SBW9 : 20 February 2021), Robert Pollock Glasgow and Louise Campbell Barter, 16 Jun 1897; citing , York, New Brunswick, Canada, p. 19, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton; FHL microfilm 2,024,688. ; they had two daughters and two sons.

William Glasgow emigrated to the Eastern Townships from County Londonderry, Ireland and in 1874 bought a farm near Shipton. He died when Robert was 12, ending the boy’s public school education. As the eldest of six children, he had to find work to help support his family.

By the age of 15 Robert was selling books published by subscription. He continued in this business through his twenties. In 1906 he became a sales agent for George Nathaniel Morang’s Makers of Canada, a successsful 20-volume series published by subscription between 1903 and 1908 in Toronto. By 1907 he had moved to Toronto. He believed that a market existed for books on Canadian history and, with Arthur H. Brook as vice-president, founded United Editors Limited, a publisher and bookseller. After a year United Editors was reorganized as the Publishers’ Association of Canada Limited with Robert as president. The company published Canada and its provinces; a history of the Canadian people and their institutions by one hundred associates, which appeared in 23 volumes between 1913 and 1917. His next project, Chronicles of Canada, was equally successful.

In 1916 Robert set up the United States Publishers’ Association in New York to produce an expanded edition of Warner’s Library and to publish Chronicles of America. The latter was a 50-volume series produced jointly between 1918 and 1921 with Yale University Press. In recognition of his contributions to Yale and American historical literature, the university awarded him an honorary MA in 1920. Robert then became vice-president of the Chronicles of America Picture Corporation, which produced a series of motion pictures based on the series. Danielle Hamelin, “GLASGOW, ROBERT POLLOCK,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed June 27, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/glasgow_robert_pollock_15E.html. 

In April 1922, he died of a heart attack in his New York office "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WBY-VZ4 : 3 June 2020), Robert Pollack Glasgow, 1922. and was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/75559922/robert-pollack-glasgow : accessed 21 July 2021), memorial page for Robert Pollack Glasgow (3 Sep 1875–5 Apr 1922), , citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by LMK (contributor 47573469) . 
Sources

[[Category:Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario]]
== Biography ==
Robert Pollock Glasgow was a Canadian-born bookseller and publisher.

He was born September 3, 1875 near Shipton, Quebec, the son of [[Glasgow-1848|William Glasgow]] and Helen Tough.<ref>"Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVNP-LQY : 2 March 2021), Robert Glasgow in household of William Glasgow, Shipton Township, Richmond, Quebec, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Database with images. Ancestry. (www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing William Glasgow, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.</ref> In 1897 he married Louise Campbell Barter in Fredericton, New Brunswick<ref>"Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBF-SBW9 : 20 February 2021), Robert Pollock Glasgow and Louise Campbell Barter, 16 Jun 1897; citing , York, New Brunswick, Canada, p. 19, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton; FHL microfilm 2,024,688.</ref>; they had two daughters and two sons.

William Glasgow emigrated to the Eastern Townships from County Londonderry, Ireland and in 1874 bought a farm near Shipton. He died when Robert was 12, ending  the boy’s public school education. As the eldest of six children, he had to find work to help support his family.

By the age of 15 Robert was selling books published by subscription. He continued in this business through his twenties. In 1906 he became a sales agent for George Nathaniel Morang’s ''Makers of Canada'', a successsful 20-volume series published by subscription between 1903 and 1908 in Toronto. By 1907 he had moved to Toronto. He believed that a market existed for books on Canadian history and, with Arthur H. Brook as vice-president, founded United Editors Limited, a publisher and bookseller. After a year United Editors was reorganized as the Publishers’ Association of Canada Limited with Robert as president. The company published ''Canada and its provinces; a history of the Canadian people and their institutions by one hundred associates'', which appeared in 23 volumes between 1913 and 1917. His next project, ''Chronicles of Canada'', was equally successful.

In 1916 Robert set up the United States Publishers’ Association in New York to produce an expanded edition of Warner’s Library and to publish ''Chronicles of America''. The latter was a 50-volume series produced jointly between 1918 and 1921 with Yale University Press.  In recognition of his contributions to Yale and American historical literature, the university awarded him an honorary MA in 1920. Robert then became vice-president of the Chronicles of America Picture Corporation, which  produced a series of motion pictures based on the series.<ref>Danielle Hamelin, “GLASGOW, ROBERT POLLOCK,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed June 27, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/glasgow_robert_pollock_15E.html.</ref>

In April 1922,  he died of a heart attack in his New York office<ref>"New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WBY-VZ4 : 3 June 2020), Robert Pollack Glasgow, 1922.</ref> and was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.<ref> Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/75559922/robert-pollack-glasgow : accessed 21 July 2021), memorial page for Robert Pollack Glasgow (3 Sep 1875–5 Apr 1922), {{FindAGrave| 75559922}}, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by LMK (contributor 47573469) . </ref>

== Sources ==
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