Charles Edward MacBean was born in Scotland in 1899 and emigrated with his parents to Vashon Island, Washington, in 1912. He joined the Canadian military during World War I and served overseas. After the war, he attended Reed College, graduating in 1932 with a Greek literature major. Subsequently, he worked in the construction and logging industries. In 1958, he undertook the English dactylic hexameter translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and achieved considerable respect for his translations. He also wrote several plays. He moved to Canada in 1976 and died in Vancouver in 1984.
From the description of Charles MacBean papers, 1958-1984. 1958-1984. (CORVALLIS BENTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY). WorldCat record id: 55115101
