Daniel Wilson

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There are also several other people known by the name Dan Wilson

For another Daniel Wilson, see Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta

Sir Daniel Wilson (5 January 1816 – 6 August 1892) was a British-born Canadian archaeologist, ethnologist and author.

Wilson was born and educated in Edinburgh, and after acting as secretary of the Edinburgh Society of Antiquaries, went to Toronto as Professor of History and English Literature. He was the author of Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, The Archeology and Pre-historic Annals of Scotland (1851), Civilisation in the Old and the New World, a study on Thomas Chatterton, and Caliban, the Missing Link, etc.

His 1851 publication is credited as being the first use of the term prehistory in English

Daniel Wilson served as president of University College, Toronto from 1880-1892 and as the first president of the federated University of Toronto from 1890-1892. Ironically he opposed the federation of colleges, particularly that of Victoria College, as a "Methodist plot".

Sir Daniel. J. Wilson Residence at the University College in University of Toronto is named in his honor.

This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.