Special Feature - Glen Hancock

Glen was born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on December 27, 1919, 89 years ago. While working on his Bachelor of Arts degree at Acadia University, Glen joined the RCAF and completed two tours during his 5 years in the military as an air gunner, one in Torbay, Newfoundland and a second in Yorshire, England. During this time, Glen was wounded and his aircraft was shot down over Germany. Following the war, Glen returned to Acadia, completed his degree and started his first journalism job with London Free Press, London, Ontario. After 5 years in London, Glen became Editor of the Saint John Telegraph Journal and eventually found his way to Imperial Oil in 1954.

Glen spent his 24 year career with Imperial Oil in the Public Affairs Department. His jobs were never boring with time spent in Toronto, Edmonton, and Atlantic, with a stop in the tiny Caribbean island of Aruba. While in Edmonton, Glen took a leave of absence from Imperial Oil and became the founder and first director of the School of Journalism at the University of Kings College in Halifax. Glen subsequently received an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Kings College. He was also the first person to teach Public Relations at Kings.

One of Glen's most interesting and challenging times with Imperial Oil was when the Liberian tanker Arrow ran aground on Cerberus Rock in Chedabucto Bay, NS on February 4, 1970 carrying 108,000 barrels of Bunker C fuel. Glen spent two months in a local motel handling public relations. In 1979, he took early retirement from Imperial Oil to pursue his journalism career, writing books and teaching at Acadia University, Mount St. Vincent and St. Mary's University.

Glen published his fourth book in 2004 called Charley Goes to War. The book tells of his experiences as an RCAF airman in the Second World War. His previous books include My Real Name is Charley: Memoirs of a Grocer's Clerk, History of Acadia University, and Nova Scotians and the Houses They Live In. Glen is presently finalizing his third book in the Charley series called "Charley's Left Over Life". Charley is actually Glen. He was registered in the Provincial Registry Office by his grandmother as Charley Nelson Hancock and has both names recorded on his passport.

Glen's hobbies include traveling the globe, his life long work in journalism, writing columns for newspapers and communicating. Glen's passion is writing about people, how they lived and how they dealt with their problems.

Glen was married for 61 years to Reta Beveridge from Dunfermline, Scotland. Glen has two daughters, two grandchildren and one great grandson. One daughter lives in Mill Village, NS and owns/operates an antique shop in Lunenburg. The other daughter was a Group Therapist in Ontario and now lives in Wolfville. Glen continues to live in Wolfville and celebrates each year with a garden party inviting as many as 250 friends.