Above all, I remember his laughter and the mischievous twinkle in his eye. He would say something uniquely insightful, and immediately cover it up with a chuckle. Only later would one realize the depth of his learning, as layers upon layers of wisdom emerged from a casual conversation in the hallway.
H. Patrick Glenn (bio; guestbook), the Peter M. Laing Professor of Law, passed away on October 1, 2014. He was 74 years old.
Professor Glenn and his wife Jane Matthews Glenn came to McGill University in 1971, part of a group of young scholars recruited by the Faculty of Law to bring to life the new National Program established three years earlier. Originally from Toronto and a member of the Bar of British Columbia, H. Patrick Glenn already embodied the cosmopolitan spirit that still characterizes McGill: he had studied law at Queen’s University and Harvard Law School before completing a doctorate in law at Strasbourg. Professor Glenn spoke flawless French and immersed himself in the academic and legal community of the province of Quebec, where he made lasting friendships. He learned Italian, Spanish and German by listening to language tapes as he walked to work every day, and delivered keynote addresses at learned conferences around the world, a distinguished ambassador for McGill wherever he went. A world traveler, he always returned to his beloved country home in Sutton, where he and Jane established roots and welcomed colleagues, students and scholars from around the world.
From the earliest days of his career, Professor Glenn’ scholarship pushed the boundaries and revisited the foundations of comparative law. He quickly became one of the world’s most respected authorities in private international law and comparative civil procedure. His most significant scholarly contributions on the theory of comparative law were to come as he reached middle age. Beginning with a landmark article in the late 1980s, Professor Glenn laid the foundation for a deep understanding of legal traditions from a rich historical and comparative perspective. In contrast to scholars who emphasized differences and incommensurability between national legal traditions, Glenn claimed that law had been, throughout history, the product of a rich dialogue between local legal forms. For him, all legal systems were dialogic, dynamic and interactive. He imagined the reconciliation of laws as a means to the reconciliation of peoples.
By the mid-2000s, Patrick Glenn had published a handful of monographs on comparative law, each of which was widely acknowledged as a canon that redefined the field. His Legal Traditions of the World: Sustainable Diversity in Law, now in its fifth edition, was a global success. This work was awarded the Grand Prize (Canada Prize) by the International Academy of Comparative Law in 1998. It is, by all accounts, the definitive book on the meaning, scope, past and future of legal traditions. It could not have been written by anyone else. H. Patrick Glenn’s voice was unique – informed by the broad culture and originality of an unconventional renaissance man.
Glenn was a curious, voracious reader, and absorbed knowledge and ideas from wherever they came. His office was a complex maze of books – on shelves, on chairs, in shaky piles on the floor and on his desk. He weaved together images from law, art, science, history, literature, anthropology, behavioral psychology, and mathematics into a kaleidoscopic account of modern legal cultures. His scholarly achievements were nothing short of prodigious – a dozen books and over 200 scholarly articles in several languages – earning him the universal respect and recognition of the global community of comparative law scholars and students.
At the time of his passing, more than four decades after his auspicious beginnings at McGill, H. Patrick Glenn was not retired. He had just put the finishing touch to a compelling and iconoclastic monograph, La conciliation des lois, drawn from a celebrated series of lectures delivered as a “cours général” in the Hague Academy of International Law. He was still planning to teach and write for another few years. He looked exactly the same as he did in the early 1970s: a distinctive head of white hair, a thick white beard, a playful smile.
H. Patrick Glenn did not inspire reverence – he was too modest, too unpretentious as a man and as a scholar to inspire anything but affection and admiration. Nonetheless, his career is marked by a succession of awards and distinctions. Professor Glenn was a visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and held the Henry G. Schermers Fellowship at the Hague Institute for Internationalization of Law and Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies. He was a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute in Hamburg, and an elected member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. In 2002, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Within Canada, Professor Glenn also received a Bora Laskin National Fellowship in Human Rights Law, as well as a Killam Research Fellowship. In 2006, he received the Prix du Québec (Prix Léon-Gérin for the social sciences and humanities), the highest distinction conferred by the Québec Government in recognition of his outstanding contribution to scholarship in the social sciences. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Professor Glenn was, at the time of his death, the President of the American Society of Comparative Law, the first scholar from outside the USA to hold this prestigious position.
Few scholars in law and social sciences have had a more decisive influence on the development of their discipline as Professor Glenn has had in comparative law and legal theory. Few have had a more lasting impact on their students, colleagues and institution. Yet, today, it is the friendship, grace and wit of this extraordinary man that we miss the most.
At McGill’s Faculty of Law today, it feels like another one of the biggest trees in the forest has just been felled – this one without warning. Our thoughts are with our dearest colleague Jane Matthews Glenn, and their children Shannon and Jeremy.
Daniel Jutras
Dean and Wainwright Professor of Civil Law
October 3, 2014.
We have opened a guestbook for those who wish to share a memory of H. Patrick Glenn or a leave a message.
Edwin Willcox
I had often wondered what became of Pat Glenn, where did he end up, and what were his endeavours, or better still, what were his accomplishments. I wondered this about Pat, because I knew he was a very intelligent person and just might end up doing great things, now I know that to be true, I would say Patrick was genius . Rest in peace my classmate.
Ted Willcox
Michael Grenby
but i couldn't see any mention in pat's obit about the time he and i were given the strap (once on each hand: it hurt!) by mr dawe for talking in his grade 7 class at capilano school!
Douglas Alderson
It is always sad to hear of a mentors passing. My condolences to Jane and remaining family members. I moved to North Vancouver with my parents in 1949. We lived in Norgate Park and on my first day of school at Capilano Elementary I passed by Pat's home. He became a great school mate and friend from day one. We walked the "chicken walk" daily from grade 3 until grade 7. Pat was a natural athlete and excellent scholar from the day I met him. He favoured soccer but was good at whatever he did. He was a natural leader and very kind friend. We graduated from elementary and moved on to (what seemed like the big time) junior high at Sutherland School. Pat matured both as a scholar and a popular student. He was elected school president in grade nine at Sutherland. He was a young man with a vision and he never refused a challange.
Pat's parents moved to West Vancouver and I lost contact with him after that. I am elated to read and not surprised of Pat's success in his professional life. It is awfully sad to lose someone of this quality and character but unfortunately these days I (we) are all experiencing the loss of our past friends and loved ones to frequently.
I doubt that any of us that knew Pat will ever forget him. As he moves on to a new phase of his life, where ever we go after death, will be a much greater place to be with Pat.
.
Joan Blundell (Neudecker)
I can't say I KNEW Pat Glenn very well but what I do remember was his friendliness to everyone. Anytime that Pat was in the same area, he would make eye contact and smile. He made everyone feel they were important. To hear now, after so many years, that his achievements were so numerous and his love of learning so huge is wonderful. However, I remember best his kindness and inclusiveness. It was no surprise that the boy, Pat, would become such a great human being.
Condolences to his wife and family from Joan (Blundell) Neudecker
Myles Green
I was just chatting with Bill Redmile at the Summerland Vintage Car Show in September and we were talking 'soccer'. I said to Bill, 'Do you remember Pat Glenn? Man, could he ever boot that ball. Pat had heavy, solid kick that seemed to go a mile'. I played a season with Jimmy Spencer's Buffalo's in North Van when Bill Redmile, Pat Glenn, Bill Beckett, Gus Mtichell, Bill Wedley, Gord Simpson etc all played. I also played with Pat prior to that at Norgate Park with the red & white shirted Capilano's alongside Wayne & Warren White, Tom Mackie, Peter Baker, Jay and Neil McPherson, Gary Toews and a few more good fellows. Jay & Neil's Father coached the team hollering 'Go Reds' from the sideline and we ate cut-up's oranges at half-time, brought by their Dad, a wonderful fellow. I'll always remember Pat being a pretty serious competitor back then and his achievements certainly illustrate a strong desire to be the best that he could be'. We'll miss him and my thoughts are with his family. Myles Green in Penticton, B.C.
Suzanne Nuttall (Wyman)
Pat was for all of us, very special. He was in nearly all of my classes and i'd run into him sometimes at Mahon park,where I was a lifeguard, practicing sports with some of the locals. He very kindly took time to help me through getting back into school when my dad pulled me out in gr.11. My condolances to his family and children.
We were all honoured to have his spirit amongst us.
Bob Thomson
I was sorry to hear of Pat's demise. Our paths crossed many times over the years. One of my earliest memories was of him on the stage at Sutherland and shouting at one of his fellow students to shut up. Was the guy's name Joe? I can't recall, although I personally thought that Pat was way out of line in doing this. This outburst led to a fist fight after school, just out of range of Sutherland's jurisdiction. His adversary drew the first blood (a kick in the face) but Pat did not back off and the fight ended with their shaking hands. I also remember Pat from time to time at Capilano Golf Course where we both caddied (Caddies were allowed play on Mondays and several of us took advantage of this.) Pat and I both moved to West Van. I went there for grades ten to twelve and I think Pat might have been there for grades eleven and twelve. We both missed our old pals from Sutherland but moving was a 'force majeure' and the sensible thing was for us to try and adapt to our new life in West Van. I think we did this reasonably well. Anyway, we were both in the Hi-Y club, we both played on the golf team (we were not hot shots but we both had about a ten handicap.) It was in the schoolroom that I remember Pat the best. We were both very serious about getting good marks and in those years there was "streaming" which meant that classes were formed according to the students' proven ability. Not to boast but we were both at the front of the wolf pack in English and French. We were also on the golf team together. Didn't win any trophies but we had a lot of fun and we got to play many of the golf courses in Greater Vancouver: Marine Drive, Point Grey, Coquitlam (The Vancouver Club), Shaughnessy,etc. Pat was editor in chief of "The Westerly", the student newspaper and annual. In this role he sometimes gave talks in front of a whole assembly (900 kids). He had a way of speaking that was ludicrously relaxed, draping himself over the lecturn and speaking without notes in a charming way, with a grin on his face and his eyes tracking the students (i.e. the girls, I am sure) in the bleachers. If there is such a thing as Irish Blarney, he had it in spades. Pat was even more impressive on the basketball court. He played guard. He was a fast and tricky ball handler and was famous for taking his time to make very long shots. Today they would be three-pointers, although there was no such thing then. He played on the grade twelve team when he was only in grade eleven. That took some doing. Gulliver in Brobdignag. I vaguely recall reading in "The Vancouver Sun" that he was a likely candidate for a 'most valuable player' award. I more or less lost track of Pat during our U.B.C. days. I recall he was elected represenative of the freshman class and in his later years he was, I think, vice-president of the Alma Mater Society. I also recall Pat's mother, who was a free-lance writer. She had the blarney too and a real Irish lilt to her voice. She wrote an article on fraternities and sororities at UBC and I was one of the people she interviewed (I wasn't in a fraternity and was more or less agin 'em.)
Edwin Willcox
Hi Bob, I was at that fight, it was Pat and Joe Jerome aka Jo-Jo.
Ted
p.s. there was a time in the fight that I thought quizzical, Pat was asking, I don't really know how to do this(fight), how am I doing, even during the fight, he wanted to be graded. The fight ended in a draw, so I gave him a passing grade.
Christopher Taschner
So sad to hear my old friend, classmate and teammate has passed away far too early. I have not seen him since 1956 when I moved to Ontario, but will never forget him!
Chris Taschner