Bryan Corbett, 1947-2023

Highlights

Archivist for more than 4 decades at the Public Archives of Canada (1969-1981), Petro-Canada (1981-1987), and University of Calgary (1987-2013); advanced the role of records management in the federal government; a founding member of the ACA, serving on the ACA Board; served on the Memory of the World project of the International Council of Archives; and established the Canadian archives listserv Arcan-l.  

Education and Background 

Born in Macrorie, Saskatchewan, Bryan Eldon Corbett received a BA (Hons) in history from the University of Saskatchewan (1969) and an MA in history from Carleton University (1973). 

Professional Career 

Bryan Corbett began his archival career in 1969 at the Public Archives of Canada (PAC, later Library and Archives Canada), where he was responsible for the records of federal government departments and agencies relating to natural resources. While there he honed his leadership skills as a supervisor and co-authored a landmark study of the records management system of the federal government (commonly known as “the Frost-Corbett Report”), revealing flaws and making recommendations that led to improved retention and disposal methods and better appraisal, acquisition and description procedures for records of archival value, both within the PAC and across Canada. In 1981 Corbett left the PAC and spent five years as Coordinator of Records Management at Petro-Canada in Calgary, responsible for all aspects of records management, micrographics, storage, classification systems, scheduling and disposal and archival preservation. In 1987 he accepted the position of Chief Archivist at the University of Alberta Archives. In 1997, he took on added duties as Coordinator of Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy. Corbett retired in 2013.  

Contributions to the Profession

Throughout his long career, Bryan Corbett was actively involved in professional associations at the provincial, national, and international levels. He twice served as President for both the Archives Society of Alberta and the Edmonton Chapter of ARMA. He was a founding member of the ACA (and enjoyed mentioning that he held the ACA membership number 007), served as Secretary (1978-1979), and as President (2000-2003). Corbett also served on numerous ACA committees; of particular note, as Chair the ACA Education Committee (1989-1993) he led development of guidelines for graduate level and post-appointment archival education. He represented the ACA on the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (which maintains the Canada Memory of the World Register). He also served on numerous International Council on Archives (ICA) committees, and on its Board. The contribution Bryan Corbett made which Canadian archivists continue to benefit from on a daily basis is as the founder and long administrator of the Canadian archival listserv arcan-l (now managed by the Canadian Council of Archives). 

Honours, Awards and Recognition 

• Archives Society of Alberta Special Award of Merit, 1996, for "Archival Education: The Experience of the Association of Canadian Archivists" in Archival Issues: Journal of the Midwest Archives Conference, vol.18, no.2, 1993.  
• ACA Distinguished Member Award, 2005 
• ACA Fellow, 2011 

• Bryan Corbett and Eldon Frost, “The Acquisition of Federal Government Records: A Report on Records Management and Archival Practices,” Archivaria 17 (Winter 1983-84). 
• “Bryan Corbett 1947-2023” Obituary, The Outlook, May 11 to June 10, 2023, https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theoutlook/name/corbett-bryan-obituary?id=51861232   

Photo source: https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theoutlook/name/corbett-bryan-obituary?id=51861232  

If you see any inaccuracies or information gaps in any biography, the ACA would very much welcome your input. Please send a message to the current chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee.