Nelson S. Thall
Nelson S. Thall is a McLuhan-trained media scientist, communication theorist, and internationally recognized Marshall McLuhan scholar whose work has helped shape the modern understanding of communication, media, and technological change. He served as President, Director, and Chief Archivist of the Marshall McLuhan Centres in both Canada and the United States, where he created and developed the Think Tank Division devoted to advancing McLuhan's research into communication, media, and technology. In recognition of his contributions to the field, he received the Marshall McLuhan Distinguished Teachers Award in 1991.
While studying under Professor Marshall McLuhan at the University of Toronto, Thall became a McLuhan protégé, later serving as President of the Marshall McLuhan Centre on Global Communications from 1990 to 1995. Over the course of his career he has become recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the science of communication, media, and process analysis, combining McLuhan's insights with original research into technological environments and their effects on individuals and society.
Thall's expertise has been sought by governments, federal tribunals, commissions, and business organizations in Canada and abroad. On May 7, 1996, he represented the Writers Guild of Canada before the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal, where he drafted the legal definitions of emerging technological terms, including "multimedia," helping establish their recognition in Canadian law. His pioneering work in multimedia and virtual reality technology also led to the development of a television series with Dr. Timothy Leary exploring the social impact of new technologies.
Also in 1996, Bill Gates of Microsoft invited Thall to contribute to Webweaving: Intranets, Extranets and Strategic Alliances, edited by Paula Boyle and Peter Lloyd. In his contribution, Thall updated Marshall McLuhan's concept of the Global Village for the Internet era, extending one of McLuhan's best-known ideas into the emerging digital age.
From 1997 to 2002, Thall served on the Board of Directors of Torstar Corporation, one of Canada's largest newspaper publishing companies and owner of the Harlequin publishing group. On December 30, 1999, he joined the Board of Directors of Stan Lee Media, where the company cited his internationally recognized expertise in communication science, media, and process analysis as an important contribution to its strategic planning and future development.
A lecturer, author, and consultant, Thall has published in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Russia, and has been interviewed or quoted in more than one hundred major newspapers and magazines worldwide. In addition to serving as Director of Research for the Centre for Media Sciences, he has advised public and private organizations on communication strategy, media, emerging technologies, and technological change.
For additional information about Nelson S. Thall and his work with Marshall McLuhan, readers are referred to Who Was Marshall McLuhan? by Maurice McLuhan and Barrington Nevitt, and to McLuhan's Children: Greenpeace and the Media by Stephen Dale.
Beyond his scholarly career, Thall is a licensed commercial pilot holding both fixed-wing jet and helicopter commercial pilot certifications.