Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)
A pioneer of media studies, this University of Toronto professor became famous in the 1960s for his provocative theories about the impact of print and electronic media on human perception and behaviour. Teaching literary criticism led him to the idea that meaning was shaped by the technology of communication. His innovative work probed the influence of the printed word on society, the effects of combining print and images in advertising, and the world-wide impact of radio and television. The concepts of the "global village" and "the medium is the message" made McLuhan one of the most celebrated scholars in the Western world.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.