əpˌɑːn kəmplˈiːɾɪŋ hɪz dᵻɡɹˈiː æt bˌælɪˈɑːl kˈɑːlɪdʒ, ˈɑːksfɚd, blˈeɪdən bɪɡˈæn tˈiːtʃɪŋ æt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv tɚɹˈɑːntoʊ ɪn sɛptˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti wˈʌn, wˌɛɹ hiː lˈeɪɾɚ sˈɜːvd æz ɐ dˈiːn ʌvðə fˈækəlti ʌv ˈɑːɹts fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn.
Upon completing his degree at Balliol College, Oxford, Bladen began teaching at University of Toronto in September 1921, where he later served as a dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1959.