by Mustafa Hussaini

For more than six decades, Dr. Rowland Marshall has held a deep connection with Saint Mary’s University, and it’s safe to say he’s left a deep and lasting imprint as a teacher, friend and dedicated supporter.  

The 96-year-old World War II veteran and retired Saint Mary’s professor of philosophy has never been what can be described as wealthy. Yet he has made the name Marshall synonymous with several endowments at the university, including two creative writing awards in the Department of English Language and Literature. All of this has been made possible through the 'guiding generosity' of his late wife, Margó Takacs Marshall, and their shared commitment to gradually save money over the years.

"It all started when she gave a little ‘hard work’ gift to a female student—it was just a small amount of money. I was impressed and I started doing the same. Then we saved a little more to give to students in recognition of their hard work and in this way, we started the poetry prize at the English department,” Dr. Marshall said, referring to the Joyce Elizabeth Marshall Hsia Memorial Poetry Award. It is named after his younger sister, Joyce, whose deep passion for literature led to her publishing two books of poetry in 1965 and 1973 and co-editing an anthology of Hong Kong poets in 1977.

Decades later in 2010, when Margó—a generous and caring woman with a “wide cast of interests” and a strong passion for quilting—passed away just as her book on quilting was being launched, he celebrated her legacy by establishing The Margó Takacs Marshall Prize for Excellence in Short Story Writing.

“I am guided by Margó’s generosity—and her belief in the importance of contributing to the community.”

The two awards have since become longstanding traditions in the university’s Department of English Language and Literature, honouring many generations of students for their literary creativity. Past winners include Sue Goyette, Jenny Haysom, Jill MacLean and Danny Jacob, who have all gone on to became nationally celebrated writers. 

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Dr. Marshall's teenage years were overshadowed by World War II. Inspired by his father, who fought in the World War I, he joined the Canadian Navy at age 16.  

"I had to get my mother's permission and surprisingly she gave it to me, and then I had to get a letter from my school principal. I thought he would say ‘no’ because he would have known or could find out from my files (that I was not old enough to enlist), but he signed a letter for me, and I got into the navy." 

During the war, he served on the Murmansk Run, a dangerous route used by merchant ships trying to deliver supplies to the Soviet Union, and was later aboard the ships escorting the surrendering German U-boats after the Allied victory. After the war, he briefly worked at Ford's car manufacturing plant in Windsor, before volunteering for the Korean War. 

Eventually, he joined the Navy Reserve and continued his studies in the field of philosophy at several universities including Western University, UBC, and University of Ottawa before finally settling in Nova Scotia with his wife and children and starting his teaching career at Saint Mary's.

Today, almost 80 years after first arriving in Nova Scotia as a young navy sailor and 31 years since his retirement from Saint Mary’s, Dr. Marshall continues to live an active life. Last year, he celebrated his 95^th birthday with an exhibition and sale of his artworks at the Seaforth Community Hall. Although his mobility is limited due to his health conditions, two ground-floor rooms in his home where he spends most of his time these days provide a perfect glimpse of who he is as a person and what he wants to be known for. A wooden table piled with letters related to his several donations to Saint Mary’s, a vintage radio, an easel stand and many artworks on the wall—including some belonging to his late wife and some paintings of his own—fill the first room, while the room next door is decorated with shelves full of books on literature, art, philosophy and politics, as well as an iMac that he uses to browse the internet and stay updated on recent technological developments, including the rise of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Marshall and Dr. Alexander MacLeod with winners of the 2023 Margó Takacs Marshall Prize for Excellence in Short Story Writing. 

This constant pursuit of knowledge is not surprising to anyone who knows him. In addition to the two creative writing scholarships in the English department, Dr. Marshall also sponsors several other scholarships, special funds and awards at Saint Mary’s and other universities in Nova Scotia. In 2017, for example, he initiated the Dr. Rowland Marshall Prize in the Science of New Energy at Saint Mary’s in 2017, which is awarded annually to a research paper that explores a fresh and groundbreaking topic within the field of new energy, with a specific focus on renewable resources and energy. As another example, the annual Marshall Lecture in Public Philosophy is hosted by the Department of Philosophy at Saint Mary’s, with support from The Rowland Marshall Public Philosophy Lecture Fund.

"I wanted to have an impact," Dr. Marshall said about why he established these awards. "My idea was to find ways of showing or crediting a person for their work and saying that this young person has put in something a little extra special. I am all for that." 

Related Links:

• Scholarships and awards in the Department of English Language and Literature
• Learn about the Minor in Creative Writing at Saint Mary’s
• Attend the 2023 Marshall Lecture in Public Philosophy on September 28