Notable Alumni

For more than a century, UTS alumni have accomplished great things: from Academy Award winners to Nobel Laureates to Rhodes Scholars; from academics, teachers, scientists and artists to physicians, community activists, public servants and entrepreneurs. Here we seek to celebrate our alumni and the diversity of their achievements. However, this list is far from comprehensive! If you would like to suggest an addition*, please complete this form. We are looking for alumni who, either in the professional or personal realms, have impacted or made a significant contribution to the communities – locally, regionally or globally. So who do you know?

Jeff Rose '64

A trade unionist and public servant, Jeff Rose began his career as a city planner for the City of Toronto. There he became involved in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, and was elected its president in 1980. His accomplishments for the members in collective bargaining, and his activism on a wide range of economic and social issues, garnered national attention, and in 1983 he was elected National President of CUPE. His years in office were marked by a strengthening of CUPE’s internal capabilities and external profile, and by notable strides in membership growth, pay equity increases, and members’ incomes generally. In 1991, he declined to run for a fifth term and was appointed Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Government of Ontario, becoming the Province’s lead negotiator and senior policy strategist in its relations with the federal and with the other provincial governments. In 1995, he moved to the University of Toronto as a Senior Fellow on Conflict Management and Negotiation. He retired in 2002 but remains active as a trade union supporter and advisor.
Christopher Alexander '85

Chris Alexander was Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Ajax—Pickering in the Canadian House of Commons since 2011. For 18 years, he worked as a member of the Canadian Foreign Services with his first posting at the Canadian Embassy in Russia. In 2003, he became Canada's first resident Ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan and between 2005 and 2009, he served as a Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence, Peter MacKay, in May, 2011. Chris has also recently published his first book entitled "A Long Way Back: Afghanistan's Quest for Peace" which explores what has become of Afghanistan since the U.S.- led invasion in 2001 and the challenges for a country that has not experienced real peace since the late 1970s.
John Allemang '70

John Allemang studied Classics at Trinity College, Toronto, and Wadham College, Oxford. In 1984, he joined The Globe and Mail and has worked as a feature writer, editor, columnist and deadline poet. He is the author of The Importance of Lunch (a series of essays on food) and Poetic Justice (a selection of his newspaper verse). In his spare time, he works as a supernumerary for the Canadian Opera Company, undertakes long-distance walks and organizes reunion dinners for the UTS Class of 1970 - which proudly refers to itself as "the worst class in the history of the school."
Tim Armstrong, O.Ont. '50

Tim Armstrong studied at Victoria College and Osgoode Hall Law School before joining the law firm Jolliffe Lewis & Osler. In 1974, he began 18 years service with the Ontario Government, first as Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board and then for 10 years as Deputy Minister of Labour, before his appointment as Ontario's Agent General to the Asia-Pacific Region, stationed in Tokyo (1986-90). On his return, he became Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology, and later was retained as counsel by the McCarthy Tetrault law firm, as well as Chief Representative of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in Canada. He has served on several private and public boards of directors, including Algoma Steel, deHavilland Inc. and the federal Patented Medicines Prices Review Board. He continues to arbitrate and mediate labour disputes and now chairs the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada. In 1995 he received the Order of Ontario in recognition of his public service contribution.
Charles Baillie '58

A. Charles Baillie served as chief executive officer of Toronto-Dominion Bank Financial Group from 1997 to 2002. After graduating with a BA (Hons,) Political Science and Economics from the University of Toronto, he obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a member of the board of directors of many corporations such as TELUS Corp., Ballard Power Systems, George Weston Ltd. and Canadian National Railway Co. In 2002, he became the 12th chancellor of Queen's University and became chancellor emeritus in 2008. In 2006, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame the following year. In addition to his business accomplishments, he currently serves on the board of trustees of the Art Gallery of Ontario. His contributions to non-profit organizations and campaigns include his term as chair of the United Way of Greater Toronto Campaign in 2000.
Ralph M. Barford, C.M. '46

Ralph Barford, C.M., is an entrepreneur. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1950 at the age of twenty and obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1952, graduating as a Baker Scholar. Ralph founded The National Merchandising Corporation in Boston in 1954. In 1960, he sold his share of the company to partners and returned to Toronto. He purchased the small Ontario manufacturer Beatty Brothers, and its larger competitor General Steel Wares Inc., which he developed into the largest appliance maker in Canada. Ralph's history of public service includes serving on the University of Toronto's Governing Council, the Victoria College Board of Regents, as President of the Canadian Electrical Manufacturers Association, and as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Ivey School of Business. Ralph is a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from Harvard Business School and the Distinguished Business Alumni Award from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He holds an honorary law degree from Western University and is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Derek A. Bate '71

Derek Bate is an accomplished conductor and musician, and currently serves as Assistant to the Music Director at the Canadian Opera Company. He obtained his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto in 1975, and has been conducting performances at the Canadian Opera Company since 1979, where he has also held the positions of Chorus Master (1980-1985) and Resident Conductor (2007-2014). In a career spanning more than 30 years, he has appeared with opera companies and symphony orchestras across Canada and the United States, including the National Arts Centre, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Toronto. Derek was assistant conductor for Wagner's Ring Cycle which opened the Four Seasons Centre in 2006. He has also served as musical director for the first Toronto production of Les Misérables in 1989, for Harold Prince's Tony Award winning production of Show Boat in New York, Vancouver and on tour throughout the U.S., and has conducted over 1000 performances of The Phantom of the Opera.
Jack H. Batten '50

Jack Batten has been a successful freelance journalist, author and broadcaster for over four decades. Born in Montreal, he attended the University of Toronto after graduating from UTS, earning his BA in 1954 and his LLB from the Faculty of Law in 1957. Jack pursued subsequent legal studies at Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar of Ontario in 1959. He worked as a lawyer from 1959 to 1963 before turning to focus on his writing career. Jack served as Managing Editor of Saturday Night magazine from 1963-1968, and over the years his work has appeared in such prominent publications as Maclean's, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and Toronto Life. He is the author of more than thirty books, including biographies, sports books, and four crime novels. His works include The Honest Ed Story (1972), Lawyers (1980), The Annex Story (2004), and Silent in an Evil Time: The Brave War of Edith Cavell (2007). Jack is a recipient of the Arbor Award from UofT, and his 2002 book The Man Who Ran Faster Than Everyone earned him the prestigious Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction.
Leif Bergsagel '77

Dr. Bergsagel is a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and practices at the Mayo Clinic Hospital where he specializes in hematology. Prior to his current position, Dr. Bergsagel was an Associate Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College for nine years. On the clinical side, Dr. Bergsagel and his team have advanced the understanding of the genetic events that lead to the development of bone cancer (multiple myeloma). They have generated a mouse model of the disease and are using it to screen new treatments. They have identified subtypes of multiple myeloma that respond differently to treatment and pave the way for a risk-adapted approach to therapy. Dr. Bergsagel has been nominated annually by his peers as one of America’s Top Doctors (Castle Connelly) since 2009. He studied medicine at the University of Toronto and holds a B.Sc. in mathematics from Trinity College.
Ian R. Brodie '85

Ian Brodie is a Canadian Political Scientist. He is former Executive Director of the Conservative Party of Canada (2004-2005) and helped to build the party after its founding in 2003. He is former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2006-2008) and played a key role in leading the Conservative Party to its first electoral victory in 2006. Ian holds a BA in political science from McGill University, and obtained MA and PhD degrees from the University of Calgary. From 1997-2002, he served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, and then as Associate Professor until 2009. From 2009-2013 he was Strategic Advisor for the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, the leading source of multi-lateral development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. He is the recipient of the Nesbitt Gold Medal (1985), and the Governor General's Gold Medal (1992). Ian is now back in Canada and currently serves as Research Director for the School of Public Policy in Calgary.
William R. Blundell, O.C. '45

William (Bill) Blundell, O.C., is a Canadian businessman. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in Engineering Physics in 1949, he joined General Electric Canada serving as chairman and chief executive officer from 1985 to 1990. The following year, he retired from General Electric Canada and was elected to the board of directors of Manulife Financial. He served as chief executive officer and president in 1993 before becoming chairman of the board in 1994. In addition, he has held numerous other corporate directorships. He has served as chairman of the Lawson Mardon Group, and in 2001 he became president and CEO of Alcan Aluminium Limited. For his outstanding accomplishments he was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997.
Catherine Bush '79

Catherine Bush is an award-winning novelist. She has authored three books: Claire's Head (2004), shortlisted for the Trillium Award and chosen as a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year; The Rules of Engagement (2000), a national bestseller, published internationally, shortlisted for the City of Toronto Book Award, a NY Times Notable Book, and an LA Times and a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year; and her debut, Minus Time (1993) -- also published in the U.S. and U.K., and shortlisted for the SmithBooks/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the City of Toronto Book Award. Her nonfiction has appeared in numerous periodicals and she has held a variety of writer-in-residence positions and taught creative writing at many universities including Concordia, the University of Florida, and UBC. She is coordinator of the University of Guelph's MFA in creative writing. Her fourth novel, Accusation, will be published in 2013.

Photo: By Ayelet Tsabari
Rebecca A. Caldwell '91

Rebecca Caldwell is a successful writer, editor, and producer, and currently serves as Press Secretary for the Office of the Premier of Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature from the University of Toronto. As a writer, Rebecca’s work has appeared in some of Canada's leading news publications, including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star and Maclean's. After seven years spent working as an editor and reporter at The Globe and Mail, in 2007 Rebecca became Senior Editor for Chatelaine, Canada's most-read women's-interest magazine. She has worked as Managing Editor at Cottage Life magazine, and helped the magazine earn Magazine of the Year nominations at both the 2011 and 2013 National Magazine Awards. Rebecca has also taught magazine editing at Ryerson University, and has worked as an Interview Producer on the CBC's "George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight". In 2011, Rebecca was honoured as Editor of the Year by the Professional Writers Association of Canada.
Charles R. Catto, C.M. '46

Charles Catto, C.M. B.D. (1929-2014), was the founder and former executive director of Frontiers Foundation, a non-profit organization that, with the help of its network of volunteers, brings affordable housing projects to disadvantaged communities. In particular, the Foundation has a long history of improving living conditions for Aboriginal groups across Canada. Catto conceived and organized "Operation Beaver" - a program through which hundreds of young people of many nationalities have undertaken building and reclamation projects in Canada and around the world - especially in Haiti and Bolivia. The program also provides social and educational programs. Charles Catto was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1979 and is the recipient of a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Day Fleck
Ben Chan '82

Dr. Ben Chan (BSc and MD (Toronto); Master of Public Health (Harvard); Master of Public Affairs (Princeton)) is Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Division of Global Health and a key figure in health care quality in Canada. In 2006, he was named Canada's Outstanding Young Health Executive in recognition of his work as the inaugural CEO of the Health Quality Councils in Saskatchewan (2003-07) and Ontario (2007-12). Recent endeavours include assisting the Republic of Georgia – through the World Bank – in establishing a primary-care framework and strategy, and a blueprint for a national quality agency; and advising the government of Kazakhstan on its national chronic disease management strategy. He practices primary care part-time with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, and is researching how the community health worker model in developing countries can be applied in Canada's aboriginal communities.
John H. Clarry '38

John H. Clarry, Q.C. is a retired lawyer and army veteran. Mr. Clarry was part of the Cadet Corps at UTS and served overseas during the Second World War, from 1940-1943. In 1947, he earned his BA from University College at the University of Toronto, and obtained his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1950, receiving the prestigious Silver Medal. Mr. Clarry was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1950, served as partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP from 1956 to 1988, and still serves as associate counsel to their Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions Group today. He was part of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps from 1946-1958, served on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Tax Foundation from 1967-1970 and, from 1974-1978, served as a board member of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan from 1990-1996. Notable among his many accomplishments, Mr. Clarry was made a member of the Queen's Counsel in 1963, and is an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau with Crossed Swords.
D. Aleck Dadson '71

Aleck Dadson is a distinguished lawyer and corporate executive. He is the former Chief Operating Officer at the Ontario Energy Board (2007-2013), where he has continued to serve as Executive Advisor since 2013. Mr. Dadson joined the OEB after a long career in the energy sectors in both North America and Europe. A lawyer by training, Aleck served as partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt until 1997, where his practice was primarily in the area of energy regulation. From 2001-2007 he served as Senior Vice President at Direct Energy Marketing Limited, Canada's largest retailer of electricity and natural gas. While a student at UTS, Mr. Dadson was editor of The Twig, and was the recipient of the UTS Old Boy's War Memorial Scholarship for distinction as well as the Dr. T.M. Porter Memorial Scholarship for having the highest marks. He is a graduate of Oxford University, the University of Toronto Law School, and Yale Law School.
Robert G. Dale '39

Bob Dale was one of Canada's most renowned airforce veterans. As a Squadron Leader during World War II, Bob's weather reconaissance in the days leading up to D-Day was esssential in helping the Allied Forces' finalize their attack plans. After the war, Bob joined Maple Leaf Milling Company in Toronto, becoming President and Chief Executive Officer by 1967, and Chairman of the Board by 1979. For his bravery and service to the airforce, Bob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1942, the Distinguished Service Order in 1944, and the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1956. A prolific volunteer, Bob donated much of his time to a number of charitable organizations, including The Air Cadet League of Canada, Bloorview Children's Hospital, Trinity College, and Sunnybrook Hospital, where he served as a Board Member as well as Chair of the Veterans' Advisory Committee. He was awarded a Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Trinity College in May 2012, and was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to Canada and his community.
Rob C. Dowsett '46

Rob Dowsett is an actuary and insurance expert. He received his BAH in Mathematics from the University of Toronto in 1950, and subsequently joined Crown Life Insurance Company. He became President & CEO of Crown Life in 1971, a position he held until 1982. That year he joined William M. Mercer Limited, a large employee benefits, pension and actuarial consulting firm, where from 1985 to 1995 he served as Vice Chairman and a World-wide Partner of William M. Mercer Companies, Inc. In 1995 Mr. Dowsett established Robert Dowsett Consulting, a professional firm providing speciality actuarial advice and service. Rob is a past president of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and a past president of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. He has held board tenures with the Health Insurance Association of America, Victoria University at the University of Toronto, the Foundation for International Training, and CAMH Foundation. Rob was the 1946 Nesbitt Gold Medal Winner at UTS and is a recipient of the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto.
John R. Evans, C.C. '46

In the world of academia, business and philanthropy, no other UTS graduate has done as much as Dr. John Evans, C.C. (1929-2015) – a medical degree from University of Toronto and a Rhodes scholarship; Doctoral degree at Oxford University, specializing in internal medicine and cardiology; founding dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Health Services at McMaster University; President, University of Toronto; Co-Chairman of the Task Force on Canadian Unity; Liberal Party of Canada candidate; President and CEO – Allelix Biopharmaceuticals; founding Director of the Population, Health and Nutrition Department of the World Bank in Washington, D.C.; the first non-American to be elected Chairman of The Rockefeller Foundation; independent director and on the board of many iconic Canadian companies (including the Chairman’s role at Torstar Corporation and Alcan Aluminum Ltd.); catalyst behind the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto; Companion of the Order of Canada; member of the Order of Ontario; inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame; and inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
Timothy G. Evans '78

Timothy G. Evans currently serves as the Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank. An international leader in global health and research policy, Dr. Evans earned a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa, and obtained a D.Phil in Agricultural Economics from the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He has an M.D. from McMaster University, and completed a research-residency in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston on a joint appointment as a MacArthur Fellow at Harvard University's Center for Population & Development Studies. From 1995-1997, he was Assistant Professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and served as Director of Health Equity at the Rockefeller Foundation from 1997-2003. In 2003, he became Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization, where he led the global Commission on Social Determinants of Health and oversaw the production of the annual World Health Report. Prior to his current tenure at the World Bank, Dr. Evans was Dean of the James P. Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University, a private university in Bangladesh.
David Fallis '73

David Fallis is one of Canada's leading interpreters of operatic and choral/orchestral repertoire, especially from the Baroque and Classical periods, and has undertaken engagements all over the world. He is the Music Director for Opera Atelier; Artistic Director of the Toronto Consort, Canada's leading chamber ensemble specializing in the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance; and conducts the Toronto Chamber Choir, a 40-voice chamber choir. Under his directorship, the Consort played the theme music for Atom Egoyan's award-winning film The Sweet Hereafter. As guest conductor of the Elmer Iseler Singers, he conducted a performance of flamenco guitar master Paco Peña’s Misa Flamenca with Señor Peña at Massey Hall in Toronto. He has also served as conductor for the new music collective Continuum, and conducted a program of works by Arvo Pärt for CBC's Two New Hours. Currently he teaches in the Faculty of Music Graduate Department at the University of Toronto.
Fraser M. Fell, C.M. '46

Fraser M. Fell, C.M., Q.C., is an esteemed lawyer and corporate executive. After earning his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School, Mr. Fell was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1953. In 1963 he began a 30 year term as Partner at the law firm Fasken & Calvin (now known as Fasken Martineau), and has served as Counsel to the firm since 1995. Mr. Fell has held a number of prominent corporate directorships, including acting as Chairman and CEO of Dome Mines Ltd., as Chairman, President & CEO of Gentra Inc., and as Chairman of the World Gold Council in Geneva. In addition to his legal and corporate life, he has held notable volunteer leadership roles with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation, and the Board of Governors of McMaster University, his undergraduate alma mater. Among his honours, Mr. Fell was appointed to the Queen's Counsel in 1965, was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from McMaster in 1987, and in 1995 was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
George A. Fierheller, C.M. '51

George A. Fierheller, C.M., D.S.Litt., LL.D, is an accomplished business executive and community leader. He graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto with an Honours Degree in Political Science and Economics in 1955. Mr. Fierheller has since held a number of prominent roles throughout his career, including acting as Founder and President of Systems Dimensions Limited (SDL), one of Canada's pioneering computer services corporations. Mr. Fierheller has also served as President & CEO of Premier Cablesystems Limited, the Founding President & CEO of Cantel Inc., Chairman and CEO of Rogers Cantel Mobile Inc., and Vice Chairman of Rogers Communications Inc. He is a devoted volunteer leader and has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors at Carleton University, on the Executive Committee of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as Chair of the Board of the United Way of Greater Toronto, as well as President of The Toronto Board of Trade. From 2000-2012, he served as Board Member and Chair of the Advancement Committee at CIFAR. His honours include a Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University, a Doctor of Sacred Letters from Trinity College, as well as The Award of Merit from the City of Toronto. In 2000, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.
Kate A. Fillion '82

Kate Fillion is an author, journalist and editor. She currently serves as a Contributing Editor at Maclean's magazine, where she has worked since 2006. She was a recipient of the prestigious Truman Scholarship in 1985, and earned her BAH from Fordham University in 1987. Kate worked as an Arts Columnist and Senior Features Writer at The Globe and Mail from 1992-1994, and as a Contributing Editor at Toronto Life from 1992-1995. Throughout the years her work has appeared in a large number of leading publications, including Saturday Night magazine, The Toronto Star, The Sunday Times, as well as Chatelaine, Flare and Marie Claire. She is a published book author, and her titles include Lip Service: The Myth of Female Virtue in Love, Sex and Friendship (Harpercollins, 1996) and How to Dump a Guy (A Coward’s Manual) (Workman Publishing Company, 1998). In 1993, Kate was the recipient of a National Magazine Award. As a frequent ghostwriter, Kate most recently worked with astronaut Chris Hadfield on his international bestseller An Astronaut’s Guide to Life On Earth (2013).
Jim Fleck, C.C. '49

Jim Fleck, C.C., has had a varied and impressive career. He was CEO of Fleck Manufacturing Inc. and served as a Director of ATI Technologies, NOMA Industries, Rogers Multimedia and Zurich Life Insurance, amongst others. He is currently Emeritus M. Wallace McCutcheon Professor of Business Government Relations at the Rotman School of Business, has served as Associate Dean, Faculty of Administrative Studies at York University, and has been a visiting professor at the JFK School of Government at Harvard, Keio University School of Business, Tokyo, the European Institute of Business Administration, Fontainbleau, and the University of Western Ontario. He was Deputy Minister of Industry and Tourism, Secretary to the Cabinet and CEO in the Office of the Premier of Ontario, and Executive Director of Government Productivity. Jim and his wife, Margaret, have been stalwart supporters of many not-for-profit organizations and Fleck family philanthropy has impacted countless people in Canada and beyond. Jim has been the recipient of many honours, including the Order of Canada and the Edmund C. Bovey Award for Leadership in Support of the Arts, and an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Trinity College.
John S. Floras '71

Dr. John Floras holds the Canada Research Chair in Integrative Cardiovascular Biol¬ogy, is a consultant cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and is Research Director of the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital Division of Cardiology. He serves as Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Research at Mount Sinai Hospital and as Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Banting Research Foundation, Canada's oldest peer-review medical research granting agency. For over 30 years, John has pursued patient-oriented research into the mechanisms involved in cardiovascular disease. John graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine in 1977, and obtained his Doctor of Philosophy as a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University in 1982. Dr. Floras is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. He was awarded the Research Achievement Award of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society in 2011, and in 2013 he was the recipient of the Hypertension Canada Distinguished Service Award.
David Frum '78

David Frum is a journalist, political commentator, and former special assistant and speechwriter to President George W. Bush. A School Captain at UTS, he obtained a BA from Yale University in 1982, and received his JD from Harvard in 1987. Mr. Frum has worked as a contributing editor at a number of prominent publications, including Newsweek, The Atlantic, The Weekly Standard and The National Review. He has worked as a columnist for The National Post and Forbes magazine, and has been a contributor on CNN. From 2007-2008 he served as senior foreign policy adviser to Rudolph Giuliani’s presidential campaign. He currently serves as a Board Member at the Republican Jewish Coalition. David is also an accomplished author; after a string of non-fiction works, including the first insider book about the Bush presidency, his first novel Patriots was published in 2012.
David A. Galloway '62

David Galloway served as Chairman of the Board of BMO Financial Group from 2004-2012. After graduating from UTS in 1962, Mr. Galloway obtained an Honours BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Toronto in 1966 and completed his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1968. From 1988-2002 he served as President & CEO of Torstar Corporation, the media company that owns the Toronto Star and the largest newspaper publisher in Canada. Mr. Galloway has held board positions for a number of leading corporations, including Hudson's Bay Company, Clearnet Communications Inc., Westburne Inc., and Shell Canada Ltd. He currently serves as a Director at Scripps Networks Interactive, Tormont Industries, and Minto Real Estate Company. Mr. Galloway has served as Chairman of The Canadian Film Centre, on the Board of Governors at Trent University, as Chairman of the Connaught Committee at the University of Toronto, and on the Dean's Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business. David was a trustee of the Hospital for Sick Children for thirteen years, and served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2002-2005.
John R. Gardner '55

John Gardner is Chair of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematics, Chair of the Board of Angoss Software Inc., and a Director at RGA Canada. John spent 35 years of his career with Sun Life of Canada, and served as the company's President for ten years before retiring in 1996. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Physics and the recipient of the Governor General's Medal in 1959. He also studied philosophy, politics and economics as one of the first Commonwealth Scholars at Oxford University, earning a BA in 1961 and an MA in 1965. A Fellow of both the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, from 1967-1973 John taught in the Department of Mathematics at McGill University. Mr. Gardner is also a community leader and has served as President of the Boy Scouts of Canada for the Greater Toronto Area and as a Director at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Sunnybrook Hospital, and the Salvation Army. John also spent nine years as a member of the Governing Council at the University of Toronto, and was a recipient of the UofT Arbor Award in 2002.
Peter J. George, C.M. '58

Dr. Peter George, C.M., O.Ont., is President and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of McMaster University. Peter had a remarkable 45-year career at McMaster, where he started out as a lecturer in 1965 and retired as university President in 2010. Before his fifteen years as President he progressively served as Assistant Professor (1967), Associate Professor (1971), Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (1974-1979), and Dean of Social Sciences (1980-1989). During the course of his presidency Dr. George oversaw the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history, which raised over $473 million.

Peter holds four degrees from the University of Toronto, having earned his BA from Victoria University in 1962, an MA in 1963, and his PhD in 1967. He was also awarded an honorary LLD from the Faculty of Law in 2005. As part of his longtime commitment to postsecondary education, from 1991-1995 Peter served as President of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Among his many volunteer leadership roles, Peter has served as a Director at the Burlington Hamilton-Wentworth United Way, the Royal Botanical Gardens, St. Joseph's Hospital, and as Director and Chair of the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation. Among his many honours, Peter was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999, a Member of the Order of Ontario in 2007, and in 2012 was a recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Chris P. Giannou, C.M. '68

Chris Giannou, C.M., is former Chief Surgeon of the International Committee of the Red Cross. After pursuing studies at McGill University, Algiers University, Angiers University France, and Cairo University, he began a medical career specializing in war surgery. His work has brought him into many of the world's most conflicted areas in recent history, including Afghanistan, Russia, Palestine, and Somalia. As an author he has written about several of his wartime experiences, including his book Besieged: A Doctor’s Story of Life and Death in Beirut (1991). Dr. Giannou has received several Humanitarian awards for his work and service, was awarded the Star of Palestine by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1990. Most recently, Chris has been serving as surgical consultation the Canadian Red Cross Society and the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre in Darwin, Australia, and is the senior author of the International Committee of the Red Cross's publications First Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence (2005) and War Surgery: Working with Limited Resources (Vol. 1, 2009; Vol. 2, 2013).
Peter C. Godsoe, O.C. '56

Peter Godsoe, O.C., is a Canadian businessman, chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. He held the positions of chairman, chief executive officer, president and chief operating officer of the Bank of Nova Scotia from 1993-2003. He has served on the board of directors of corporations such as Rogers Communications Inc., Barrick Gold Corporation, Sobeys Inc., Lonmin PLC and Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust. In addition to his corporate directorships, he serves as a director for Mount Sinai Hospital and many non-profit organizations. From 1996 to 2000, he was chancellor of the University of Western Ontario. In 2002, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and in 2004, he was made an Honorary Commander of the Order of Jamaica. In 2012, he received the Lifetime Business Achievement Award from the Canadian Council of the Americas.
Laurie Graham '78

Downhill skier, Laurie Graham, CM, represented Canada at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics. She won six World Cup victories and three National Downhill titles in her eleven years on the National Ski Team. She was the first North American woman to win a World Cup Super Giant Slalom skiing and the first North American to win on home soil at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. In addition, Graham posted 34 top-10 FIS World Cup Downhill results. She was inducted in to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1991 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Appointed a C.M. (Member) of the Order of Canada on July 11, 1998, her citation noted, in part, that "... she served gracefully as an unofficial ambassador to the sports world and as a much-respected role model and mentor to younger athletes."
Meredith A. Hawkins '84

Dr. Meredith Hawkins is the Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Medicine, Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Diabetes Research Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYC. Inspired by the story of Banting and Best, Meredith decided at the age of 12 to pursue a career in diabetes research. She earned an MD degree cum laude from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Clinical Research Methods from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Meredith founded and directs the Global Diabetes Institute with the purpose of building strategic partnerships in medical research and education to combat the world's burgeoning diabetes epidemic. Her team's current projects include a large research program in India to investigate the poorly understood entity of 'malnutrition diabetes', which is likely to affect millions of people worldwide. Meredith is the recipient of the Novartis Young Investigator Award in Diabetes Research (2007) and the Outstanding Investigator Award from the American Federation of Medical Research (2012), and was elected to the honorific American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2012.
George A. Hendry '29

George Hendry was Surgeon Lieutenant and medical officer of the HMCS Ottawa during World War II. He graduated from UTS in 1929, and pursued athletics and medical studies at the University of Toronto. He finished his postgraduate training in 1939, at which time he took up a junior teaching appointment in the university's department of obstetrics and gynecology. It was a position he held only shortly before enlisting as a medical officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. George's bravery during his naval service is well known. As Surgeon Lieutenant in 1942, Dr. Hendry performed two major surgical operations aboard the HMCS Ottawa during one a voyage across the Atlantic. Just shortly after performing the operations the ship was ambushed and torpedoed by 13 U-boats in the middle of the North Atlantic. The ship sank in just 20 minutes. Dr. George Hendry, exhausted from the demanding surgeries he had performed, was lost along with 113 of his fellow sailors. He was 31 years old.

Photo courtesy of Dr. James Goodwin
Ralph L. Hennessy '36

Vice Admiral Ralph L. Hennessy (1918 – 2014) was one of Canada's most distinguished naval veterans. After graduating from UTS in 1936, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and became one of the youngest naval officers to command his own ship during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the sinking of U-boat 210 in August 1942, and then proceeded to move up the chain of command during a long and brilliant postwar career. Before retiring from the military in 1970, Hennessy was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1966, and served as Comptroller-General from 1966-1968 and as Chief of Personnel of the Canadian Armed Forces from 1969-1970. Outside of his military service, Hennessy also served as Honorary Aide-de-Camp to Governor General Vanier from 1963-1964, and served for eight years on the Advisory Council of the Canadian War Museum. He served as the first Executive Director of the Standards Council of Canada, playing a pivotal role in the development of clearer standards for products, services and systems, and then served as VP of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 1995 he graduated with a BA in History from the University of Waterloo, making the Dean's Honours List.
Andre L. Hidi '77

Andre Lawrence Hidi holds an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business as well as a BA and an MA in Political Economy from the University of Toronto. Andre spent two years as a professional hockey player in the Washington Capitals organization. He currently is a Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets, responsible for its Global Mergers & Acquisitions group. Prior to his ten years at BMO, he spent 12 years with Morgan Stanley and Citigroup in New York and Toronto, and taught an MBA course on mergers and acquisitions at U of T's Rotman School of Business for three years. Andre also is a competitive poker player who has competed in the World Series of Poker Main Event several times. He serves on the UTS Board of Directors and is a past director of the UTS Alumni Association. As co-chair of the Preserving the Opportunity campaign, Andre established the Suzanne E. Hidi Bursary at UTS in honour of his mother.
Lawrence Hill, C.M. '75

Lawrence Hill, C.M., is the author of seven books, including the internationally acclaimed The Book of Negroes. He is the son of American immigrants to Canada — a black father and a white mother. Growing up in the predominantly white suburb of Don Mills in the sixties, he was greatly influenced by his parents' work in the human rights movement and much of Hill's writing touches on issues of identity and belonging. Lawrence Hill has an M.A. in writing from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a B.A. in Economics from Laval University. He has won numerous writing awards and is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. Formerly a reporter with The Globe and Mail and parliamentary correspondent for The Winnipeg Free Press, Hill has lived and worked across Canada, in Baltimore, and in Spain and France and has volunteered extensively across West Africa.
Thomas H. Hurka '71

Dr. Tom Hurka is Chancellor Henry N.R. Jackman's Distinguished Professor of Philosophical Studies at the University of Toronto. After being introduced to philosophy at UTS, Tom pursued a Philosophy BA at the University of Toronto and then earned a BPhil and DPhil in the subject at Oxford University. From 1978 to 2002, he taught at the University of Calgary and then moved on to the University of Toronto. The author of many philosophy articles, mostly concerning ethics and political philosophy, he was also a weekly ethics columnist for The Globe and Mail from 1989 to 1992. He has published widely including the books Perfectionism (1993), Virtue, Vice, and Value (2001), The Best Things in Life (2011), and British Ethical Theorists from Sidgwick to Ewing (2014). A distinguished scholar, Tom has held several noteworthy fellowships, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Killam Research Fellowship from the Canada Council, and several visiting fellowships at Oxford. He was elected to The Royal Society of Canada in 2001.
Henry "Hal" N.R. Jackman, O.C. '50

The Honourable Henry “Hal” N.R. Jackman, O.C., OOnt, C.D., is a preeminent businessman and devoted philanthropist. He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1991-1997, and as Chancellor of the University of Toronto from 1997-2003. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1991, and was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000. Mr. Jackman has served as Chairman of the Board of the National Trust Company and Empire Life Insurance Company, in addition to a number of other leading Canadian corporations. Born and raised in Toronto, he was educated at UTS and UCC before obtaining Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Toronto. In 2008 he was awarded the Edward C. Bovey Award for his outstanding contribution to the arts in Canada. A visionary of the UofT community, Mr. Jackman has donated over $40 million to the university since 1998, including donations to UTS and a $30 million endowment to establish the Jackman Humanities Institute, which today remains the largest gift to the humanities ever received by a Canadian university.
Marina Jimenez '82

Marina Jimenez is a member of the Globe and Mail's editorial board, where she writes about foreign affairs. She has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked for both of Canada's leading national daily newspapers, for the CBC, and has free-lanced for several magazines. She has specialized in the coverage of immigration issues, and in Latin America. She has covered elections and other stories in Haiti, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela and also reported from Cuba, Guatemala and Argentina. Her long list of recognitions include a National Newspaper Award in 2003 for beat reporting (immigration), one of three finalists in 2004 for the same award and a 2009/2010 Journalism Fellowship at Massey College, University of Toronto. She has a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from the University of London, and teaches at the University of Toronto. She volunteers with the Canadian Foundation for Journalism. In April 2013, Marina was appointed president of the Canadian Council for the Americas.
William C. Kitchen '45

In 1951 William Kitchen launched Lansing Building Supply. Quick to capitalize on the growing DIY trend in the 1960’s, he set up a free carpentry school for customers and merchandized to this group. The business grew from one to 800 employees over the next 50 years, with nine Toronto locations. By the time of Bill’s death in 1997, Lansing was the only surviving privately-owned Canadian building supply chain in the GTA. He was named to the hall of fame of the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario in 1988, the same year that he established the W.C. Kitchen Family Foundation with two main mandates: to support initiatives that help at-risk youth realize their potential; and to work to conserve natural resources in Ontario and British Columbia. In 1998 Lansing merged with Revy Home and Garden a division of West Fraser Timber Ltd., and eventually sold to RONA in 2001. The William Kitchen Road in Scarborough is named in Bill’s honour.

Photo: By Ursula Liane
Felicia M. Knaul '84

Felicia Knaul, PhD (Economics, Harvard University), is Professor at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami. She is Chair of the Pan American Health Organization Task Force on Universal Health Coverage, Director of the Miami Institute for the Americas, and senior economist at the Mexican Health Foundation. She has held senior government posts in Mexico and Colombia, participating in health reforms in both countries. Felicia has also worked for the WHO, the World Bank, and UNICEF. After her own diagnosis in 2007, she founded the Mexican non-profit Cáncer de Mama: Tómatelo a Pecho through which thousands of Mexican healthcare providers have been trained to help low-income women access timely care for breast cancer. Her publications include; Tómatelo a Pecho, Beauty without the Breast; a review of the Mexican health system in The Lancet; and Closing the Cancer Divide (lead editor).

Photo Credit: Fernando Cagigas, August, 2012. Mexico
Donald G. Lawson '47

Donald Lawson is a business leader, volunteer and philanthropist. In 1950, after studying Commerce & Finance at the University of Toronto he joined the brokerage firm Moss Lawson & Co. Ltd. He served as President from 1966 to 1989 and then as Chairman until 1998 when the firm was sold to HSBC. He continued to serve as Honorary Chairman of HSBC Securities until his retirement in 2008. Donald's professional service includes years spent on the Board of Governors of the Toronto Stock Exchange (1964 to 1973), including a year as Chairman in 1972. A dedicated community leader, Donald has served as Chairman of The Counselling Foundation of Canada and as Chairman of the YMCA of Greater Toronto. In 1989 Donald was awarded a YMCA Fellowship of Honour Citation from then Governor General of Canada Jeanne Sauvé for his commitment and service to the organization. Donald is the recipient of an Honorary Law Degree from Dalhousie University, a Doctor of Sacred Letters from Victoria University at the University of Toronto, the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Dennis B. Lee, O.C. '57

Dennis Beynon Lee, O.C., MA is a poet, teacher, editor and critic.He is also a children's writer well known for his book of children's rhymes, Alligator Pie. In addition to his 1972 Governor General's Award, Lee has twice won the CACL Bronze Medal for a children's book: in 1974 for Alligator Pie, and in 1977 for Garbage Delight. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award, for body of work for children in 1986, and the Mr. Christie's Book Award (for The Ice Cream Store) in 1991. He is the recipient of a Toronto Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and became the city’s first Poet Laureate, a position he held from 2001 to 2004. Lee was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993. He is the recipient of honorary doctorates from Trent University and from Victoria College in the University of Toronto.
Robert E. Lord '58

Bob Lord, FCA, is a Chartered Accountant and former Vice-Chair, Professional Services at Ernst & Young. Upon graduating from UTS, Bob received the George & Elizabeth Rutherford Scholarship at Victoria College. He obtained his degree from the University of Toronto in 1962, and joined Clarkson, Gordon & Co. (now Ernst & Young) that same year, starting out as an Audit CA. Bob moved up within the company for 38 years, serving as Audit Manager, Office Manager in Edmonton, and National Director of Accounting & Auditing before serving as Vice-Chair from 1993-2000. As an active volunteer, Bob is the former Chair of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at both the YMCA Edmonton and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. As part of his volunteer work, Bob has been one of UTS' strongest champions, serving as Chair of the Development Steering Committee in 1999, Vice-Chair of the Building Opportunities Campaign from 2000-2001, Chair of the Interim UTS Board from 2001-2004, and as Chair of the UTS Board of Directors from 2004-2013.
James C. McCartney '56

James C. McCartney, Q.C., is counsel in McCarthy Tétrault's Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Toronto. He is past Chairman of the firm and played a significant role in the development of McCarthy Tétrault as a national law firm. After graduating from UTS in 1956, he went on to study at the University of Toronto, obtaining his B.Comm in 1961 and his LLB in 1964. Jim is a member of both the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association, and for years he appeared as a leading lawyer in a number of areas of expertise in the Canadian Legal Expert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada. Since 2010, James has served as Secretary, Director and Executive Vice President at Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation. In 2005, he was a recipient of the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto.
Robert Y. McMurtry, O.C. '59

Dr. Robert McMurtry, O.C., is an orthopedic surgeon and currently serves as Professor of Surgery at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the Western University. He obtained an M.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 1965, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Robert is former Professor and Chair of Surgery at the University of Calgary, and former Chief of Surgery at Calgary's Foothills Hospital. From 1992-1999 he served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the subsequent Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, at Western University. In 1999, he was appointed the first Cameron Visiting Chair at Health Canada, and from 2003-2007, served on the Health Council of Canada. He is a member of the Medical Research Council of Canada, is the recipient of the Presidential Award of Excellence from the Canadian Orthopedic Association, and in 2011, was named a member of the Order of Canada.
Lydia Millet '86

Novelist Lydia Millet was born in Boston, MA and raised in Toronto. She holds a BA in Creative Writing with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MA in environmental policy from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Her novel, My Happy Life, won the 2003 PEN-USA Award for Fiction; Oh Pure and Radiant Heart was short-listed for the 2007 Arthur C. Clarke Award; and her 2009 collection of short stories, Love in Infant Monkeys, was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Her 2011 novel Ghost Lights, a New York Times Notable Book, was the second in a cycle of novels that began with How the Dead Dream in 2008. Magnificence (2012) completes the cycle. In 2012, she won a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. Millet worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council for two years before joining the Center for Biological Diversity in 1999 as a staff writer.
James Mavor Moore, C.C. '36

James Mavor Moore, C.C., OBC (1919 –2006) was a writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator. His mother, Dora Mavor, helped establish Canadian professional theatre in the 1930s and 1940s. Mavor Moore graduated with a BA from the University of Toronto in 1941and served as an intelligence officer during WWII. He was a pioneer of Canadian television in the 1950s and was the creator of CBC National News, later known as The National. He created more than 100 plays, documentaries, musicals and libretti for stage, radio and television and, from 1970 to 1984, was professor of theatre history at York University. He was the first artist to chair the Canada Council from 1979 to 1983. In 1973 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1988. In 1989 he was the first recipient of the University of Toronto's Warner-Lambert Award for distinguished service in arts administration and in 1999 was appointed to the Order of British Columbia.
David Morley '73

David Morley is President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. He has also served as President and CEO of Save the Children Canada; Executive Director of the Canadian section of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders; and founding Executive Director of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, President of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation, and mentor with the Trudeau Foundation. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and is on the Advisory Board of McGill University's Institute for the Study of International Development. His writing on international issues has appeared in newspapers across Canada and around the world. He is a frequent commentator on radio and television. His most recent book, Healing Our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders, was published in Canada, South Korea and the United States.

NOTE: Pic by Jamie Day-Fleck
J. Fraser Mustard, C.C. '46

J. Fraser Mustard, C.C., (1927-2011) became an MD through the University of Toronto and obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada. In 1966, he helped establish the school of Medicine and Health Sciences at McMaster University, becoming Vice President, Health Sciences and, during tenures at U of T and McMaster, he developed a major research career in platelets, thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. He founded The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in 1982 and worked with governments in Canada, Australia, and Latin America, the World Bank, and Pakistan’s Aga Khan University emphasizing the crucial nature of early human development in producing healthy, competent and quality populations. He co-chaired a report for the Government of Ontario on early child development with specific community recommendations (The Early Years Study).
Gordon W. Perkin, O.C. '53

Dr. Gordon W. Perkin, O.C., M.D., co-founded PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) in 1977, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to improving maternal and reproductive health in developing countries. He served as President of PATH until 1999, when he left to act as Director of Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Recruited by the Gates family, Mr. Perkin played a significant role in establishing the Gates Foundation as the world's largest philanthropic organization. After graduating from UTS in 1953, he went on to study medicine at the University of Toronto. He received his MD in 1959, and began his career as a family doctor in Canada. Mr. Perkin was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1999. A leader in the global health community, he has also worked with the World Health Organization, the Ford Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, Planned Parenthood, and the Global Health Council.
John C. Polanyi, C.C. '45

Dr. John Charles Polanyi, PC, C.C., FRS, B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD is one of Canada’s preeminent scientists and Nobel Laureates and an outspoken advocate for peacekeeping and human rights issues. He is presently a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. His research is on the molecular motions in chemical reactions in gases and at surfaces. Dr. Polanyi is the recipient of many awards including the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London, and 30 honorary degrees from six countries.
John A. Rhind '38

Jack Rhind is a World War II veteran and leading corporate executive. He graduated with a BComm from the University of Toronto in 1942 and enlisted in the army the day after his last university exam. Jack was a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery and served in both Italy and Holland. After the war, he went to work for the National Life Assurance Company of Canada, where he rose through the ranks, becoming President by 1966. In 1976, he moved to Confederation Life Insurance Company where he served as a leading executive until 1990. He then served as Chairman of Midland Walwyn Inc. before retiring in 1995. A devoted volunteer, Jack served as Chairman and President of Toronto Western Hospital from 1974-1979, and has been a volunteer leader for a number of organizations, including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Life Insurance Association, the Toronto Board of Trade, and the University of Toronto. Jack is a former President of the UTS Alumni Association (1964) and was the 2011 recipient of the H.J. Crawford Award.
Peter H. Russell, O.C. '51

Peter Russell, O.C., is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He graduated as a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Trinity College at U of T in 1955, and obtained his MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford in 1957. In 1958 he started teaching in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Toronto, and became a full-time professor in 1967. The focus of Peter's academic work has been in the fields of Canadian constitutional, aboriginal and judicial politics, and he has had a considerable impact on public policies in these areas. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and holds honorary degrees from the University of Calgary, the University of Guelph, the University of Toronto and the Law Society of Upper Canada. In 2009 he was awarded he Arbor Award from the University of Toronto, and in 2012 was the recipient of the Mildred A. Schwartz Award from the American Political Science Association, in recognition of his contribution to the study of Canadian politics.
William J. Saunderson '52

The Honourable William Saunderson is a chartered accountant, business executive, and former MPP in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He obtained a BA from Trinity College at the University of Toronto, and began his career working as an accountant with Clarkson, Gordon & Co. (now Ernst & Young). In 1971, he founded Spectre Investment Counsel Ltd. and served as a senior partner there for 24 years. In 1995, he was elected as Member of Provincial Parliament and served as Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism in the cabinet of Mike Harris from 1995-1997. Mr. Saunderson is a dedicated volunteer, and has served as a Board Member for a number of organizations, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the University of Ottawa Pension Investment Committee, and the Shaw Festival Governor's Council. Serving as Board Chair, since 2006 Mr. Saunderson has been instrumental in shaping the UTS Foundation. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Ottawa and Trinity College, and is the recipient of the Award of Outstanding Merit from the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto.
Donald Schmitt '70

Donald Schmitt is a founding principal of Diamond Schmitt Architects. His experience includes academic, healthcare and research facilities with an emphasis on sustainable design. Significant projects include the University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Symphony Hall, Detroit; and UofT’s Bahen Centre for Information Technology. He is currently working on projects for the Sick Children's Hospital, Toronto; Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario; and Regent Park Arts and Culture Centre, Toronto. He and his firm have won over 160 design awards including six Governor General's Awards. He is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; a member of the American Institute of Architects; and Founding Chair of the Public Art Commission for the City of Toronto for which he was awarded the Civic Medal. He is also a member of: the Advisory Committee on Planning Design and Real Estate for the National Capital Commission, Ottawa; the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel; the Canadian Art Foundation Advisory Committee; and is an academician with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Blair Seaborn C.E. '41

Blair Seaborn joined the Department of External Affairs in 1948. In 1964-65, while the Canadian member of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam, he visited Hanoi five times in an effort by Ottawa to establish communications between the USA and North Vietnam. The "Seaborn Mission," undertaken with the active involvement of the USA, was one of the most controversial aspects of Canadian diplomacy during the Vietnam War. Blair was subsequently assistant deputy minister of consumer and corporate affairs 1970-74 and deputy minister of Environment Canada, 1975-82. He served as Canadian chairman of the International Joint Commission from 1982 to 1985, when he became intelligence and security coordinator at the Privy Council Office. As of 1990, Blair further showed his ability to find solutions to complex issues as Chair of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's panel on Nuclear Fuel Waste Management. In 2000, he was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Joanna Slater '93

Joanna Slater is a foreign correspondent for The Globe and Mail whose career includes reporting assignments in Asia, Europe and the U.S. She was named the Canadian newspaper Journalist of the Year for 2015 for her coverage of the refugee crisis in Europe. Her work has been nominated four times for National Newspaper Awards. As The Globe's New York Bureau Chief, she reported on major news events including the shootings in Newtown, Conn., the Boston marathon bombing and Hurricane Sandy. Prior to joining The Globe in 2010, she worked for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the financial crisis out of New York and covering South Asian business and politics from Mumbai. She spent seven years in Asia, based first in Hong Kong and then in India. Early in her career, she won the Young Journalist Award from the Society of Publishers in Asia. Joanna graduated summa cum laude from Smith College and holds two masters degrees from Columbia University.
Jeffrey C. Simpson, O.C. '67

Jeffrey Simpson, O.C., is National Affairs Columnist at The Globe and Mail. A distinguished Canadian journalist, he is the recipient of the Governor General's award for non-fiction book writing, the 2013 Donner Prize for the best book in public policy, the National Magazine Award for political writing, and the National Newspaper Award for column writing (twice). He holds a BA from Queen's University (1971) and a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics (1972). Jeffrey joined The Globe and Mail in 1973 and has been writing his national affairs column there since 1984. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Queen's University, on the Board of Overseers at Green College, University of British Columbia, on the advisory council of the Robarts Medical Research Institute and the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University. Jeffrey also served as Vice-Chairman of the City of Ottawa Library Board. In 2000, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Charles Snelling '56

Before Dr. Charles Snelling became a successful surgeon and a professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia, he was a legend of Canadian figure skating. He is a six-time Canadian Men's Champion, a seven-time world team member and two-time Olympic competitor. In 1952, while still a student at UTS, Charles won his first national title as the Canadian Junior Men's Champion. He went on to win five consecutive Senior Men's national titles from 1954-1958. The same year that he graduated from UTS he competed in his first Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and in 1957 he won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Colorado Springs. He retired from skating in 1958 to pursue medicine at the University of Toronto, but after graduating in 1962 he returned to competitive skating. Charles won his sixth and final national title in 1964, and earned a spot on the 1964 Olympic team. Dr. Snelling was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2005, and his with his national title in 1954 at the age of 16, he remains the youngest ever Canadian Men's National Champion.
James Sommerville '80

Jamie Sommerville is the current principal hornist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic, in Hamilton, Canada. Before coming to Boston in 1998, Mr. Sommerville was formerly principal horn of the Canadian Opera Company and Symphony Nova Scotia, acting principal horn of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (1996-1998), associate principal horn of the Montreal Symphony (Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal) (1986-1991) and third horn of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1997). He has also performed and recorded internationally as a chamber musician and soloist and teaches currently at the Longy School of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. He is heard on recordings on CBC, Marquis, Deutsche Grammophon, and Decca labels.
A. Michael Spence '62

A Rhodes Scholar and the recipient of many honors and awards, Michael Spence received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 and the John Bates Clark Medal from the American Economics Association in 1981. He is a professor of economics at the New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business, is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, and the Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus of Management in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He was chairman of the independent Commission on Growth and Development (2006 - 2010). Professor Spence is the author of three books and is a member of the American Economic Association. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Econometric Society. He served as Philip H. Knight Professor and dean of the Stanford Business School from 1990 to 1999. Before that, he was a professor of economics and business administration at Harvard University, chairman of its economics department, and dean of its Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
James M. Spence '58

The Honourable James Spence is a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, and a former President of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. He is an honorary member of The Advocates' Society of Ontario, and served as a director of The Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History until 2012. He was a member and co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics until June 2007. He has served as a co-chair and member of the Education Committee of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Prior to his appointment to the Court, from 1979-1993 he served as a partner in the law firm now called Torys LLP. He is a former Treasurer of The Law Society of Upper Canada and a former director of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. An expert in his field, he has lectured and written on matters of professional and judicial responsibility. He received the honorary degree of LL.D from The Law Society of Upper Canada in 2001, and was elected a Senior Fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto in 2006.
Harry J. Stinson '71

Harry Stinson is a leading real estate developer, entrepreneur and innovator. He is the former Founder and President of Harry Stinson Real Estate Inc., a company he built throughout the 1980s and 1990s to become Toronto's leading condominium resale brokerage. Now known as Re/Max Condos Plus, he sold the company in 1998. Notorious for being Toronto’s "condo king", Harry was one of the first developers in Toronto to recognize the potential for urban condominiums and to develop residential lofts from old office and warehouse buildings. Harry's prominent developments have included such projects as The Candy Factory Lofts in Toronto's Queen West neighbourhood, the redesign of the 1912 Graphic Arts Building in Toronto's financial district, as well as High Park Lofts and One King West in Toronto, and the Stinson School Lofts in Hamilton, Ontario. He currently serves as President of Stinson Properties Inc. based in Hamilton.
William W. Stinson '51

William W. Stinson started working summers at Canadian Pacific Railway in 1950 at the age of 16, first as a passenger car cleaner and, in subsequent summers, as a yard brakeman. He started permanently with the railway in 1955 and became the chief executive officer in 1979. He was promoted as CEO of Canadian Pacific Limited in 1985 which was then a wide ranging conglomerate with many transportation and natural resources companies. He retired from CP in 1996 and currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Westshore Terminals, a coal export port in Vancouver that handles more than 30 million tonnes of mainly metallurgical coal used in the steel making industry. He also serves on the boards of Canfor and Canfor Pulp, producers of sustainable forest products. He has served as Chairman of Sun Life Financial, Lead Director of CHC Helicopter and on a wide variety of other boards. Bill is a graduate of Trinity College (UofT) and the University of Western Ontario. He has been an active UTS alumnus serving as a Montreal-area volunteer in the 1990s during the Preserving the Opportunity campaign.
Tom H. Symons, C.C. '47

Tom Symons, C.C., OOnt, FRSC, is one of Canada's pre-eminent educational and cultural statesmen of the twentieth century. An outstanding public figure, Symons is a leader in many areas of Canadian life. He was the founding President of Trent University, serving as its president and vice-chancellor from 1961 to 1972. He served as Chairman of the Ontario Human Rights Commission from 1975 to 1978. Between 1980 and 1986 he served two three-year terms as chairman of the Board of the United World Colleges. Symons is a pioneer in Canadian and Aboriginal studies, as an architect of national unity and French-language education in Ontario, as a champion of human rights, and as the chief policy advisor to the federal Progressive Conservative party in the 1960s and 1970s. Symons' leadership in a wide range of areas exercised a deep and lasting influence on many Canadian institutions – contributions that continue to be meaningful and relevant for Canada today.

Professor Symons became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976 and a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1997. He was appointed a member of the Order of Ontario in 2002. In 2012, Professor Symons was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and received a Knighthood from the Vatican in the Order of Saint Sylvester.
Bryce Taylor '62

Bryce Taylor is James Wallace McCutcheon Chair in Surgery, Surgeon-in-Chief & Director, Surgical Services, at the University Health Network (UHN), and Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Surgery, UofT. He has also served as Vice President, UHN and Chief Operating Officer of Toronto General Hospital. He administers Canada's largest and most academically productive department of surgery. In 2009, he co-authored a global World Health Organization study to establish the Surgical Checklist, which has contributed towards a significant reduction in surgical complications and mortality. He co-authored Effective Medical Leadership (Rotman-UTP Publishing, 2010), examining the complex workings of a modern hospital. He was President of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons in 1996 and has won a number of teaching awards, including the Colin Woolf Award for Continuing Medical Education at UofT. In 2011, in recognition of countless achievements, UHN created the Dr. Bryce Taylor Surgeon Scientist Fellowship in his honour.
James M. Tory '46

James Marshall Tory, Q.C., was a prominent Canadian business lawyer. He played a pivotal role in building up Torys LLP, the family law practice his father founded, into one of Canada's leading law firms. In 1952, Mr. Tory graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law as its first gold medallist, an honour given to the graduating student with the highest cumulative average. He is also a graduate of Osgoode Law School. Mr. Tory was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1954. Jim served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Inmet Mining Corporation. Matching his business leadership with dedicated volunteer leadership, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hospital for Sick Children, and played a leadership role in the UofT Law School's Laskin Library Campaign. The James Marshall Tory Dean's Chair at the UofT Faculty of Law is named in his honour.
John A. Tory '46

John Arnold Tory, Q.C. (1930-2011) was a distinguished lawyer and corporate executive. He obtained a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1952 and helped found the leading Canadian law firm now known as Torys LLP with his father, John S.D. Tory, and his twin brother James. Mr. Tory was appointed to the Queen's Counsel in 1965. He left the family law firm in 1973 to work for the Thomson family, and played a pivotal role in guiding the Thomson Corporation's expansion from a newspaper business into one of Canada's great multinational companies. Mr. Tory was president of the Thomson family's holding company, Woodbridge Co. Ltd., until 1998. A close friend and advisor to Ted Rogers, Tory also served on the board of directors of Rogers Communications Inc. for over 30 years. He is the father of former Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Leader and current Mayor of Toronto John H. Tory '72.
John H. Tory '72

John Tory, Q.C., was elected Mayor of Toronto in October, 2014. A former MPP, he served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 2004-2009, and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2005-2007. Mr. Tory holds a BA degree from the University of Trinity College at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. He was a partner at the prominent law firm Tory, Tory, DesLauriers & Binnington from 1986-1995, and served as president & CEO of Rogers Media from 1995-1999. From 1996-2000, Mr. Tory acted as the ninth commissioner of the Canadian Football League, and from 2009-2013, was host of the popular afternoon talk radio show "The Live Drive with John Tory" on NEWSTALK 1010. A staunch volunteer, Mr. Tory is a founding member of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and has served on the Board of Directors of a number of charitable organizations, including the United Way of Greater Toronto, the Salvation Army, and St. Michael's Hospital Foundation. In 2012, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario.
Vincent M. Tovell, O.C. '41

Vincent Massey Tovell, O.C., was a broadcaster, writer, television producer, and champion of the arts in Canada. The great-grandson of Hart Massey and nephew to former Governor General Vincent Massey, Mr. Tovell began his remarkable career in 1942 at the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) while still an undergraduate at the University of Toronto. He worked as an executive producer, writer, performer and historian at the CBC up until his retirement in 1987. Significantly, Vincent helped found the Canada Council for the Arts, and played a pivotal role as a trustee or board member at a number of leading Canadian cultural institutions, including the National Theatre School, the National Ballet School, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the National Gallery, and Toronto's Design Exchange. A dedicated Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto, Mr. Tovell was named Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 for his immense contributions to Canadian arts and culture.
Edward J. Waitzer '72

Edward Waitzer is a lawyer and professor. He is currently the Director of the Hennick Centre for Business and Law and holds the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance at Osgoode Hall and the Schulich School of Business at York University. Edward was Chair of Stikeman Elliott LLP from 1999 to 2006 and remains a senior partner whose practice focuses on complex business transactions. He also advises on a range of public policy and governance matters. From 1993-1996, he served as Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission (and of the Technical Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions), and from 1977-1981, served as Vice-President of The Toronto Stock Exchange. He is also currently Chair of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. He has written and has spoken extensively on a variety of legal and public policy issues and serves or has served as director of a number of corporations, foundations, community organizations, editorial boards and advisory groups. He earned his LL.B. (1976) and LL.M. (1981) from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. He has been called to both the Ontario (1978) and the New York (1985) Bars.
Christine Wilson '80

Dr. Christine Wilson has a comet named after her. In 1986, while working as a grad student at the California Institute of Technology on the 2nd Palomar Sky survey, she spotted a small object now known as Comet Wilson. She joined the faculty at McMaster University in 1992 and she is the Canadian Project Scientist for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array which was recommended as the highest priority for Canadian participation in a major new ground-based observatory. She has received a Premier's Research Excellence Award for her research centered on the interstellar medium and star formation, both in nearby galaxies and in the Milky Way. She was one of six Canadian project scientists on the astronomical satellite ODIN and is also an Associate Scientist with the SPIRE instrument for the Herschel satellite.

Photo courtesy of Susan Bubak
Graham Yost '76

Graham Yost is an accomplished screenwriter and film and television producer. After graduating from UTS and completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto, Mr. Yost moved to the United States to pursue his filmmaking career. He worked on a variety of television shows before breaking out onto the big screen with his script for the film Speed in 1994. Mr. Yost has penned the scripts for films such as Broken Arrow (1996), Hard Rain (1998), and The Last Castle (2001), and has received two Emmy Awards for his work as a producer on the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998) and The Pacific (2010). His television credits also include writing two installments of the award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), and creating the Peabody Award-winning drama series Boomtown (2002). Since 2010, Mr. Yost has served as creator and executive producer of the FX series Justified. He is the son of preeminent Canadian television personality Elwy Yost, longtime host of TVO's Saturday Night at the Movies, and credits his early love of film to his father.

 

*Suggestions will be considered by members of the UTSAA Board. Please keep in mind that the Notable Alumni pages are an ever-evolving body of work. By its nature, the process of selection is somewhat subjective. Every effort will be made to respond in a timely manner to submissions and to consider suggestions in a fair and equitable manner.

 

Copyright © 2012 University of Toronto Schools