Editing John Grierson (section)

== Early life ==
Grierson was born in the old schoolhouse in [[Deanston]], near [[Doune]], [[Scotland]], to schoolmaster Robert Morrison Grierson from Boddam, near [[Peterhead]], and Jane Anthony, a teacher from [[Ayrshire]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=John Grierson: A Documentary Biography|last=Hardy|first=Forsyth|publisher=Faber and Faber|year=1979|isbn=0-571-10331-6|location=University of Stirling Archives|pages=[https://archive.org/details/johngriersondocu0000hard/page/11 11–262]|url=https://archive.org/details/johngriersondocu0000hard/page/11}}</ref> His mother, a [[suffragette]] and ardent [[UK Labour Party|Labour Party]] activist, often took the chair at [[Tom Johnston (British politician)|Tom Johnston's]] election meetings.<ref name=":0" />

The family moved to [[Cambusbarron]], [[Stirling]], in 1900, when the children were still young, after Grierson's father was appointed headmaster of Cambusbarron school.<ref>{{Cite book|title=John Grierson: Film Master|last=Beveridge|first=James|publisher=Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.|year=1978|isbn=0-02-510530-2|location=University of Stirling Archives|pages=3–336}}</ref> When the family moved, John had three elder sisters, Agnes, Janet, and Margaret, and a younger brother, Anthony.<ref name=":0" /> John and Anthony were enrolled at Cambusbarron school in November 1903. His sister Margaret died in 1906; however, the family continued to grow as John gained three younger sisters, Dorothy,<ref name=":0" /> [[Ruby Grierson|Ruby]], and finally [[Marion Grierson|Marion]] in 1907.<ref>{{Citation |last=Price |first=Hollie |title=Grierson [married name Taylor], Marion Anthony (1907–1998), film director, journalist, and youth worker |date=14 March 2024 |work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-90000382438 |access-date=3 November 2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382438 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8}}</ref>

Both parents steeped their son in [[Liberalism|liberal]] politics, [[humanistic]] ideals, and [[Calvinist]] moral and religious philosophies, particularly that education was essential to individual freedom and that hard and meaningful work was the way to prove oneself worthy in the sight of God.<ref name=":1" /> John was enrolled in the High School at Stirling in September 1908, and he played football and rugby for the school.<ref name=":0" />

=== World War I ===
In July 1915, Grierson left school with an overall subject mark of 82%; John had sat the bursary examination at Gilmorehill the month before, as his parents wanted him to follow his elder sisters, Janet and Agnes, in going to the [[University of Glasgow]].<ref name=":0" /> The results for the bursary examination were not posted until October 1915; Grierson applied to work at the munitions at [[Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire|Alexandria]]; the munitions building had been the original home of the Argyll Motor Company which had earlier in the twentieth century built the first complete motor car in Scotland.<ref name=":0" />

Grierson was the second name on the bursary list and received the John Clark bursary, which was tenable for four years.<ref name=":0" /> Grierson entered the University of Glasgow in 1916;<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=University of Glasgow Story|url=http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH2035&type=P&o=&start=0&max=20&l=|access-date=19 May 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131300/http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH2035&type=P&o=&start=0&max=20&l=|url-status=dead}}</ref> however, he was unhappy that his efforts to help in [[World War I]] were only through his work at the munitions.<ref name=":0" /> Grierson wanted to join the navy; his family on his father's side had long been lighthouse keepers, and John had many memories of visiting lighthouses and being beside the sea.<ref name=":0" /> He went to the [[Crystal Palace Park|Crystal Palace]] in [[London]] to train with the [[Royal Naval Reserve|Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve]]. In his recruitment letter he had added a year to his age so that he could attend.<ref name=":0" />

On 7 January 1916, Grierson was sent to the wireless telegraphy station at [[Aultbea]], [[Cromarty]], as an ordinary [[telegraphist]] but was promoted to telegraphist on 2 June 1916.<ref name=":0" /> On 23 January 1917, he became a telegraphist on the [[minesweeper]] H.M.S ''Surf'' and served there until 13 October 1917. The next day he joined H.M.S ''Rightwhale'', where he was promoted to leading telegraphist on 2 June 1918 and remained on the vessel until he was demobilised<ref name=":0" /> with a [[British War Medal]] and the [[Victory Medal (United Kingdom)|Victory Medal]].<ref name=":0" />

=== University of Glasgow ===
Grierson returned to university in 1919; he joined the Fabian Society in 1919 and dissolved it in 1921.<ref name=":0" /> The New University Labour Club was initiated by John as well as the Critic's Club; he also had poetry published in the Glasgow University magazine from November 1920 until February 1923.<ref name=":0" /> Grierson received the Buchan Prize in the Ordinary Class of English Language in the academic year of 1919–20, he also received the prize and first-class certificate in the academic year of 1920–21 in the Ordinary Class of Moral Philosophy and graduated with a Master of Arts in English and moral philosophy in 1923.<ref name=":0" />

In 1923, Grierson received a [[Rockefeller Foundation|Rockefeller Research Fellowship]] to study in the United States at the [[University of Chicago]], and later at Columbia and the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Ellis|first=Jack C.|date=1968|title=The Young Grierson in America, 1924-1927|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1225223|journal=Cinema Journal|volume=8|issue=1|pages=12–21|doi=10.2307/1225223|jstor=1225223|issn=0009-7101}}</ref> His research focus was the [[psychology]] of [[propaganda]]—the impact of the press, film, and other mass media on forming public opinion.<ref name=":2" />  Grierson was particularly interested in the popular appeal and influence of the [[yellow journalism|"yellow" (tabloid) press]], and the influence and role of these journals on the education of new American citizens from abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Grierson and the Public Relations Industry in Britain |url=https://www.screeningthepast.com/issue-7-first-release/john-grierson-and-the-public-relations-industry-in-britain/ |access-date=20 January 2024 |language=en-US |archive-date=20 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120001510/https://www.screeningthepast.com/issue-7-first-release/john-grierson-and-the-public-relations-industry-in-britain/ |url-status=live }}</ref>