Ethel Margaret Futers Fulton was born in Birtle, Manitoba, in 1922. Fulton taught in high schools in Manitoba and Ontario from 1942 to 1953. And later, she completed a BA at the University of Manitoba in 1955. She completed an MA at UBC in 1960 and a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1969.
Dr. Margaret Fulton was appointed Dean of Women in 1974, following Dean Emerita Helen McCrae, until 1978, when the position was eliminated. Fulton also taught in the Faculty of Education at UBC. She then served as the President of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax from 1978-1986. From 1986-1996 she was an Adjunct Professor at UBC.
Fulton has been active in numerous organizations and causes, including education, women’s studies, and rights for the elderly. She was Vice-Chair of the Woman’s World Summit Foundation, Geneva, an NGO committed to furthering education, health, and equality for rural women. She holds 15 honorary degrees and has been recognized for her work with a Governor General’s Award and the Order of Canada. Fulton was also the subject of a documentary film, A Round Peg and a book biography by Dr. James Doyle, Transformations: The Life of Margaret Fulton, Canadian Feminist, Educator, and Social Activist. Fulton retired to Salt Spring Island.