Coral W. Topping (M / Canada, 1889-1988), novelist, playwright

Coral Wesley Topping (1889-1988) was a Canadian novelist and playwright.

Born in Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario in 1889, Topping was educated at the Perth Collegiate Institute, Perth, Ontario, and then at Queen's University, Kingston (B.A., 1912), Columbia University (M.A., 1921, Ph.D., 1929), the University of Washington, the University of Southern California, and the Union Seminary and Wesleyan Theological College (S.T.D., 1925). He served as Governor of Kingston Jail (1917-1919) and taught sociology and history at the College of Puget Sound (1923-1925) before coming to UBC in 1929. From 1929 to 1954, Topping taught sociology in University of British Columbia's Department of Economics, Political Science and Sociology and also directed the Social Work program from 1929 to 1943. After retiring from UBC in 1954, he accepted an appointment at Union College (later part of Vancouver School of Theology). Topping was also a prolific writer of scholarly articles, fiction, and poetry. He died Feb. 21, 1988.

Works

Novels

• Jewish Flower Child (1970 Topping), novel

Plays

• Jesus Christ, Rabble Rouser (1975 Topping), play

Biography

• The University of British Columbia Archives (retrieved on 12/26/2010)