Geoffrey Bilson was born 27 January 1938 in Cardiff, Wales. He obtained his early education at the Liverpool Institute, then went on to the University of Wales where he received a B.A. in history in 1960. Bilson continued his education in the United States, earning a MA from the University of Omaha (1963) and a Ph.D. from Stanford (1970). In 1964 he came to the University of Saskatchewan as an Instructor and rose through the ranks, becoming full Professor in 1980. The majority of Dr. Bilson's academic writings centred on 19th and 20th century Canadian history with a strong interest in immigration and health. In addition to his academic writings, Dr. Bilson established himself as a writer of children's books and plays. He died 25 July 1987.