Harvey Stevenson Southam Lecturer in Journalism and Non-Fiction & Harvey S. Southam Program in Writing and Editing
Harvey Stevenson Southam was born into a world of power, wealth, and admiration. His life was different than that of the average Canadian in that he never had to worry about money or work; yet, he hunched over his desk writing articles for the Vancouver Sun, he almost broke down handing out pink slips to unfortunate employees of Southam Business Communications, and he used his own integrity to create Equity, a business magazine in Vancouver. True, Harvey was fabulously rich, but he sure didn't act like it.
Harvey's great grandfather, William Southam, began a newspaper business in 1877 that accelerated through the family line, accumulating wealth through the years until the Southam name became synonymouswith Canada's media leaders. What's more, Harvey's mother, Jean, is the daughter of the legendary B.C. forester, H. R. Macmillan, whose self-titled forestry company is one of the most successful in Canada.
Harvey grew up in Vancouver's Shaunessy district. He had a happy, carefree childhood, and showed intellectual promise at a young age. But Harvey was a bit of a rebel. After failing his studies at UBC, he was sent to UVic to revise his academic goals. School work aside, Harvey was well-known for his wild nights drinking and dancing at the Strathcona, his long hippy hair, and his trailer down by Goldstream Park. Harvey graduated from UVic with a degree in Sociology (1973).
After UVic, Harvey worked at the Winnipeg Tribute before moving to Vancouver as a reporter for The Province. He also worked as an Assistant Editor at the Vancouver Sun from 1976-1979 and afterwards worked for CKVU television as the executive producer from 1979-1981. One of Harvey's most distinguishing accomplishments, however, was his creation of Equity, in 1982.
He eventually moved to Toronto and took a position at Southam Business Communications and was later appointed Senior Vice President. It was in Toronto where Harvey's life took a drastic turn. Working within the corporate ladder, where he saw first-hand what "layoffs" and "downsizing" actually meant, Harvey fell into a depression that he couldn't escape.
Friends and family remember Harvey as an amazingly kind and compassionate man. His work ethic surprised those who passed him off as just another "rich kid," and his friends found his company to be equal to none.