Fundos PR3825 - John Tobias Fonds

John Luke Tobias was born February 27, 1942 in Pennsylvania, USA, the eldest of five children of John William and Eva Amelia Jean Tobias. In 1964, in pursuit of a post-graduate education, he moved to Edmonton to study history at the University of Alberta. There he met Bea, to whom he was married for 45 years. They had two sons, Paul and Michael, born in 1977 and 1978 respectively.

Tobias completed his MA and Ph.D. in 1971 in European history at the University of Alberta. Unable to find work as a teacher of European history after graduation, he took a position with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (formerly the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations). Tobias wrote several articles that are widely cited in First Nations historical research. His research provided information that would be crucial in establishing the validity of land claims and disputes, and he became a highly sought-out subject matter expert in court cases. He participated in the Central Alberta Historical Society and other historical organizations, and presented papers about his research at the Red Deer and District Museum and at various historical conferences.

Tobias accepted a job teaching history at Red Deer College in 1975. His role evolved to include college leadership as acting Dean and as Faculty President. Shortly after joining the faculty, Tobias became a member of the city’s archives committee, where he advocated for permanent staffing of the archives, along with the enhancement of the holdings. He taught at Red Deer College for 30 years before retiring in 2007.

Tobias’ interests included golf, barbequing, hiking, classical and folk music, sports, and reading. He passed away on December 23, 2009.