McCaul, John (1807 -1887)

John McCaul. educator, and theologian, was born in Dublin on 7 March 1807. He received a BA in 1824, an MA in 1828, and an LL D in 1835, all from Dublin A specialist in classical languages, McCaul moved to Toronto in 1839 as principal of Upper Canada College. He became vice-president in 1842, and president in 1849, of King's College (renamed the University of Toronto in 1850), and was president 1853-1880 of University College, University of Toronto. He wrote several books on his speciality, including: The metres of the Greek tragedians explained and illustrated (1828); Britanno-Roman inscriptions, with critical notes (1863); and Christian epitaphs of the first six centuries (1869). A keen and skilled amateur musician, McCaul organized in 1845 two concerts of choral and orchestral works by Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and others. He organized the Toronto Philharmonic Society, and was its president 1845-1847 and 1854. He was also president 1851-1853 of the Toronto Vocal Music Society. He died in Toronto on 16 April 1886.