Hugo McPherson

Hugh Archibald McPherson (August 28, 1921 – 1999), better known as Hugo McPherson, was a Canadian professor, who served as Canada's Government Film Commissioner from 1967 until 1970. In this position he was the Chairman of the National Film Board of Canada.

McPherson was born in Sioux Lookout, Ontario in August 1921 to Peter Gordon McPherson and Nettie Louella McPherson (née Perrin). He was educated at the Provincial Normal School in Edmonton, Alberta, and later at the University of Manitoba, The University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.

When he was working at the University of Toronto he had an office near Phyllis Grosskurth, who later remembered McPherson and recommended him to Secretary of State for Canada Judy LaMarsh when LaMarsh was selecting a new Government Film Commissioner in 1967. McPherson was an admirer of the media theory of Marshall McLuhan, whose work he praised during his interview for the National Film Board (NFB) role. Earlier that year, the Canadian government had publicly criticised the NFB, and some employees had demonstrated on Parliament Hill to protest against staff cuts. McPherson's time at the NFB is generally seen as having been unsuccessful, although McPherson himself was frustrated at what he saw as the government's low priority for filmmaking.

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