Past Chancellors

Meet the Current Chancellor

A farm boy from Ontario, Charles Allan Stuart went on to become a very popular figure in Alberta's legislative history. Born in Cardoc, Middlesex County, Ontario, on August 3, 1864, Stuart graduated from the University of Toronto in 1891, a recipient of the gold medal in Classics. Stuart studied law at Osgoode Hall in Toronto and graduated with an LLB in 1894; he was admitted to the Bar in Ontario in 1896. He established his own law practice in Ontario just prior to falling ill. Hoping that all he needed was a change of climate, much rest, and an ocean breeze to cure him, Stuart went to Mexico where he recuperated.

By February 1897, Stuart had moved to Calgary. He began his lengthy foray into politics in March 1900 when he ran for the Northwest Territories Assembly for West Calgary. He was defeated by future Prime Minister Richard Bennett. In December 1904, he became a member of Calgary's City Council. Stuart finally saw his political aspirations realized under the administration of Premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford when he won a seat representing the electoral district of Gleichen in the Assembly.

His years of public service, during which he "exercised an important influence", were rewarded on October 8, 1906, with an appointment as Judge of the Supreme Court of Alberta. When a separate Supreme Court was created for the province of Alberta by the Provincial Act of September 1907, Justice Stuart was appointed as a Supreme Court Judge.

Stuart served as the first Chancellor of the University of Alberta Senate from 1908 to 1926 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University in 1915. His family included his wife Beatrice Roxburgh, of Northwood, Ontario, and sons Alan Roxburgh and Charles Eric. Charles Allan Stuart passed away in Calgary on March 5, 1926.

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NICOLAS DUBOIS DOMINIC BECK, 1926-1927

Nicolas Dubois Dominic Beck was born on May 4, 1857 in Cobourg, Ontario, to Reverend J.W.R. and Georgina (Boulton) Beck. Beck worked as an attorney in Peterborough, Ontario from 1879 to 1883 while earning his law degree from the University of Toronto, which he received in 1881. From 1883 to 1889, he worked as an attorney in Manitoba. He was the editor of the Northwest Catholic Review and the Territorial and Alberta Law Reports.

In 1889, Beck moved to Calgary where he began work in the law firm of Lougheed, McCarthy, and Beck. He served as Crown Prosecutor in the District of Edmonton from 1891 to 1892, before being appointed to the Queen's Counsel of Alberta in 1893 and beginning work as a solicitor in Edmonton. In 1905, Beck was a legal consultant on the Alberta and Saskatchewan Autonomy Bills. He was also president of the Alberta Law Society.

From 1907 through 1921, Beck served as both Puisne Justice and Member of the Supreme Court of Alberta. He then served as Justice, Appellate Division, of the Supreme Court of Alberta from 1921 to 1928.

Beck became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta in 1908; he held this position until 1926 when he became the second Chancellor. Beck was also a member of the Senate (1908-1928) and Board of Governors (1926-1927).

Beck was the father of four children. Nicolas Dubois Dominic Beck passed away on May 15, 1928 in Seattle, Washington.

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ALEXANDER CAMERON RUTHERFORD, 1927-1942

Alexander Cameron Rutherford married Mattie Birkett, with whom he had two children, Cecil and Hazel. Rutherford practised law in Ontario for ten years before making the decision to explore the rapidly developing communities out west. In 1895, Rutherford and his family moved west to Strathcona, Northwest Territories, where he was elected to its Legislative Assembly. In 1905, the day after the establishment of the Province of Alberta, Rutherford was called to lead the first government of Alberta. It was he who, in 1906, introduced a bill which founded the University of Alberta. Having been in correspondence with and developing what became a lifetime friendship with Henry Marshall Tory, Rutherford approached him to serve as the University's first president. The two men envisioned an institution of higher learning that would be paramount in the creation of a modern province: the University of Alberta.

Rutherford resigned as Premier of Alberta in 1910 but pursued his passionate interest in the University, serving as Chancellor from 1927 until his death in 1941. Rutherford had numerous business associations and was active in many organizations including the Edmonton Mortgage Corporation, Imperial Canadian Trust Company, and the South Edmonton Literary Institute, to name but a few. An avid reader and book collector, his marvellous collection of Canadiana is now housed in the University of Alberta campus library which today bears his name: Rutherford Library.

Read Chancellor Rutherford's 1927 Election Announcement

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FRANK FORD, 1942-1946

Frank Ford was born March 4, 1873 in Toronto, Ontario to Katherine (Poole) and James Ford. He received his education at the University of Toronto, graduating with an MA, LLB, and DCL.

Ford began his career in 1893 as Secretary to D'Alton McCarthy, the influential Member of Parliament. In 1897, Ford left his position with McCarthy and became an attorney in the law firm of Denton, Dods, and Ford in Toronto. A year later, he joined the Government of Ontario as Secretary to the Attorney General, holding this position for a year before becoming a solicitor in the Treasury Department. Ford remained in Toronto until 1906, working for his last three years in the city as an attorney in the law firm of McArthy, Osler, Hoskin, and Harcourt. In 1906, Ford moved to the province of Saskatchewan, where he served as Deputy Attorney General until 1910. He was appointed to the King's Counsel in Saskatchewan in 1907 and was a bencher in the Law Society of Saskatchewan from 1907 to 1910.

In 1910, Ford was appointed to the King's Counsel in Ontario, moved to Edmonton, and became a partner in the law firm of Emery, Newell, Ford, Bolton, and Mount. He remained a partner in this firm for the next sixteen years. Ford was appointed to the King's Counsel in Alberta in 1913 and to the Supreme Court of Alberta in 1926. He served as Justice of the Trial Division for the next ten years before being named Justice of the Appellate Division in 1936, an appointment he retained until 1954.

In recognition of his achievements in law, Ford was presented with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees (LLD honoris causa) from the University of Alberta in 1946 and Université Laval in 1947.

An honorary professor of law at the University of Alberta from 1926 to 1961, Ford also served the University as a member of the Senate from 1914 to 1920 and from 1939 to 1946. Frank Ford was the fourth Chancellor of the University of Alberta and occupied this position from 1941 to 1946.

Ford's military activities included service as Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles and Lieutenant, and later, Captain, of the 20th Regiment of the Lorne Rifles.

A Boy Scout commissioner in Saskatchewan, Ford was also Deputy Prolocutor for the House of Delegates of the Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land and Chancellor (1913-1943) of the Edmonton Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Frank Ford passed away on March 21, 1965 in Edmonton.

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GEORGE FREDRICK McNALLY, 1946-1952

A descendant of United Empire Loyalists, George Fred McNally was born in June, 1878 near St Anne's Point near what is now Fredericton, New Brunswick.

English master at the Strathcona Collegiate Institute until 1909, McNally was appointed school inspector with headquarters in Wetaskiwin. He went on to become Alberta's Deputy Minister of Education from 1935 to 1946 and president of Canadian Education Association from 1938 to 1941.

Under the title "A Streamlined Plan of Teacher Education," McNally, as Deputy Minister of Education, heralded "a modern programme for the preparation of teachers." This program not only meant university-level education and ultimately a university degree for all prospective teachers, but it was also, boasted McNally, "one of the most significant developments in educational policy adopted anywhere in Canada. The ultimate effect of this policy will raise the status of every teacher in Alberta schools. In five years, the profession of teaching in this province will attain a status never dreamed possible under the plan formerly in use."

Dr George Fred McNally had a long association with the University of Alberta. As a member of the first Convocation in 1911, he received the degree of MA. Thirty-five years later, in 1946, he became the fifth Chancellor of the University of Alberta. His term of office coincided with the period of the largest enrollment in the University's history, and almost the entire group of student veterans who graduated from the University following World War II received their degrees from his hands. It is estimated that during the six years from 1946 to 1952, Dr McNally conferred almost as many degree as did all his predecessors in the University's history.

While he conferred degrees upon graduands, so too did McNally receive two high honours: the University conferred upon him an Honorary Doctor of Laws, and, in 1958, on the occasion of the University's Golden Jubilee, he was presented with the Alumni Association's highest tribute. The University of Alberta Alumni Golden Jubilee Award, consisting of a gold-plated tray and framed tribute, recognized citizens for their distinguished contribution to the University.

McNally was, said Dr G.V. Haythorne, Deputy Minister of Labour in Ottawa, a man 'whose name, whose spirit, whose inspiration have been connected for so long with education in Canada and particularly in this part of Canada. Dr McNally … is one of the greatest Canadian educators of the twentieth century… [He] brings a freshness, a vigor, and an enthusiasm to discussions of education. [and] has also done more than any single other man in Canada today to elevated the status of technical education.'

McNally was not only a teacher, school inspector, normal school principal, curriculum developer, deputy education minister, and university chancellor, but also chairman of the National Technical and Vocational Training Advisory Council. Said G.V. Haythorne in a citation for the opening of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in 1963: 'Dr McNally has done more than any single other man in Canada today to elevate the status of technical education, which … is so essential in today's complex and increasingly technological world.'

Fittingly, when NAIT was officially opened, its library, located off the South Lobby of the Main Campus, was dedicated to, and named for, McNally.

Dr McNally, had four children: son John and daughters Jean, Helen, and Betty.

Said Rev G.M. Edwards, who conducted McNally's funeral, [McNally] 'wore the hallmark of greaness with simplicity, he never lost the common touch. He could how potatoes in his front yard in preparation for next year's lawn, as I found him doing one day, and then step over to the University to confer degrees, and be perfectly at ease in both settings.'

McNally, whose life has been associated with service to others, passed away December 4, 1965 at the age of 87. McNally High School in south Edmonton is named in his honour.

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EARLE PARKHILL SCARLETT, 1952-1958

"One of the greatest joys of my life is the fact that from the time I was able to crawl, books have been one of the great stimuli of my life. I don't think I would've lived in the world if there were no books." These profound words were spoken by Dr Earle Parkhill Scarlett, former University of Alberta Chancellor.

Born to parents Robert Arthur Scarlett (a Methodist minister) and Alma Edith Parkhill in 1896 in High Bluff, Manitoba (approximately 50 miles northwest of Winnipeg), the young boy was ever surrounded by books … there were always stocked bookshelves in the home and young Scarlett quickly came to value the power of the written word. Although the family would move often, the books always travelled with them. Young Scarlett would continue this appreciation of both reading and writing throughout his life, often known to relax in a leather armchair with the company of a good book and his pipe in his later years.

A long-time student, Scarlett began studies in both Latin and Greek at age 10. Obviously, Scarlett was a quick study as, remarkably, just five short years later, he was prepared to go to University. His parents could provide little in the way of financial support, so the boy was required to earn his own way. To this end, Scarlett worked at whatever he could find; the jobs generated much-needed income and he didn't turn down any offers. His experience includes being a store clerk, a construction camp labourer, and a train sleeping car conductor.

While collecting train tickets from passengers was anything but dangerous, there would be far more risky work ahead. Military service called for Scarlett in 1915, when he enlisted as a gunner with the Second Machine Gun Battalion in France during World War I. Perilous work indeed, and, three years later, Scarlett was injured in action. Following seven long months receiving hospital care, Scarlett recovered and considered his career options. In researching, he spoke to many of his father's friends and learned that many of these individuals were unsatisfied and unfulfilled with their work. If they could live life over again, many of these same individuals explained that they would choose to study medicine.

Seeming that medicine was the field of choice and with such knowledge in-hand, Scarlett enrolled in the University of Toronto to study this specific field. Notably, while a student here, Scarlett also served as the first editor of the school's publication, the University of Toronto Medical Journal. Graduating in 1924, Scarlett found related work in Detroit, Iowa City and, finally, Calgary. The move to Calgary to begin work with the Calgary Associate Clinic occurred in 1930. Scarlett settled in Calgary for many years to follow, becoming a specialist in internal medicine with the clinic as well as Senior Consultant in Medicine at the Colonel Belcher Military Hospital and thus ending his previously nomadic lifestyle.

Scarlett may have had a stethoscope in one hand and a pen in the other as he still felt the urge to read and write. He studied the works of poet John Keats, joined the Baker Street Irregulars, and spearheaded the Calgary Associate Clinic Historical Bulletin.

News of the now prominent Calgarian filtered north and Scarlett was nominated to become University of Alberta Chancellor. Being selected over Dr Milton Ezra LaZerte (a former University dean) and Laurence Yeomans Cairns (an Edmonton barrister), Scarlett succeeded Dr Fred G. McNally and remained at this post from 1952 to 1958.

During his time with the University of Alberta, Scarlett also served as Chairman of the Selection Committee of the University's National Award in Letters. He always remained a writer: upon his death on June 14, 1982 at 85 years, Scarlett had written approximately 450 articles and papers. And, until his final days, Scarlett also remained a lifetime member of the Calgary YMCA, thereby demonstrating a strong support of community causes. Further to his passing, Scarlett was survived by three children (two daughters and a son) and eight grandchildren.

It seems impossible to sum up Scarlett's life in just a few paragraphs; however, Dr Fred McNally delivered a moving tribute as he presented him the Degree of the Doctor of Laws. McNally respected Scarlett immensely, as proven by his speech where he referred to Scarlett as "a brilliant scholar, a Doctor of Medicine, a Doctor of Laws, a veteran of World War I who bears in his body the devotion of his devotion to his country, champion of the Humanities, inspiring teacher, able administrator … a citizen who is the pride of his community and a great Canadian." For a lover of words, these are fine words indeed.

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LAURENCE YEOMANS CAIRNS, 1968-1964

Laurence Yeomans Cairns was born in 1892 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. While attending the University of Alberta, Cairns was President of the Literary Society. When he graduated with a BA in 1912, he was a member of the University's first graduating class. He also received an LLB from the University of Alberta in 1915.

During World War I, Cairns served as both a sergeant and a gunner.

Between 1930 and 1951, Cairns was a lawyer with the firm of Wallbridge, Henwood & Gibson and a part-time lecturer in law and commerce at the University of Alberta. He was very involved with the University and was President of the Alumni Association, a founder of the Friends of the University, and a member of the Board of Governors (1958-1964). Cairns was Chancellor of the University of Alberta between 1958 and 1964. His contributions to the University earned him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1955 and a 1964 Alumni Golden Jubilee Award. The L.Y. Cairns Memorial Bursary is named in his honour.

Appointed to the King's Counsel of Alberta in 1935, Cairns was Judge in the District Court of Northern Alberta and in the Supreme Court of Alberta between 1957 and 1965. He was also Vice-Consul to Finland, Honorary President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Edmonton Public School Board, a member of the Northern Alberta Old Timers' Association, and, in 1950, President of the Alberta Law Society.

Cairns had three children, two daughters and one son. Cairns passed away on July 27, 1967 in Edmonton.

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FRANCIS PHILIP GALBRAITH, 1964-1970

Francis Philip Galbraith was born at Guelph, Ontario in 1896 and came to Lethbridge with his parents, Francis Wright Galbraith and Jessie Holmes Robson, in 1906. The family settled in Red Deer the following year, Galbraith's father having purchased the local newspaper, the Alberta Advocate, whose name he changed to the Red Deer Advocate.

Galbraith, whose mother and uncle, Dr W.S. Galbraith, both registered as members of Convocation at the University of Alberta in 1908, himself attended from 1913 to 1915, when he enlisted in the Third University Company, Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry and served in Belgium and France before being wounded in 1916.

Since 1920-aside from the eight years he spent in the United Kingdom between the two World Wars-Galbraith served on the staff of the Red Deer Advocate, a newspaper whose files go back almost to the turn of the century and hold the most complete history extant of central Alberta.

Upon his father's death on March 9, 1934, Dr Galbraith took over as the newspaper's editor and remained in that capacity until his retirement in the spring of 1970. During Dr Galbraith's years as editor, the Advocate grew from a prize-winning weekly to a bi-weekly, and finally, in March 1960, to the thriving daily newspaper it is today. In addition, Galbraith was a member of The Canadian Press for ten years and a president of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association.

Active in community service, Dr Galbraith served variously as secretary and president of the Red Deer Board of Trade, twice as an alderman, as chairman of the Red Deer District Planning Commission from its beginning in 1952 through 1958, and as president of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association. From 1948 through 1954, he served on the Senate of the University of Alberta, which, in 1959, conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

The eighth Chancellor of the University of Alberta, Dr Galbraith was the first to reside outside Edmonton or Calgary. Elected by the alumni in 1964, Galbraith succeeded the late Judge Laurence Yeomans Cairns. According to University President Max Wyman, Galbraith, "as Chancellor, […] sought quality and excellence in its instructors, buildings, and facilities." Said John Dauphinee, general manager of The Canadian Press, "Dr Galbraith exemplified the finest qualities of the Prairie pioneer. His vigor, friendship, dedication to high principles." Galbraith is described by Justice E.W.S. Kane, a judge of the Alberta Supreme Court, Appellate Division, and a long-time friend, as "a magnificent character in every sense of the word. In the newspaper business, and anything else he put his mind to, he was steady, honest, fair, and had a fine sense of the fitness of things."

Dr Galbraith, whose term as eighth Chancellor was to have ended June 30, 1970, died of a heart attack May 16 in Red Deer. He was 73. He was survived by his wife Claretta, son Michael, and daughter Mary.

In posthumous recognition of his distinguished contribution to the University, the Alumni Association awarded Dr Galbraith its highest honour. The Alumni Golden Jubilee Award, which consists of a gold-plated tray and framed tribute, was conferred during fall Convocation in 1970 and accepted by Galbraith's widow, Claretta. In presenting the award, Mr N.A. Lawrence noted that as a journalist, publisher, businessman, and public servant, Dr Galbraith served not only the University "in many ways, but was also very prominent in the life of Alberta. He was admired by all and his service is an example to all."

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LOUIS ARMAND DESROCHERS, 1970-1974

Louis Desrochers has made tremendous contributions to the province of Alberta, the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean, and the francophone community in Edmonton. He was born in Montréal, Québec in 1928; his father passed away eighteen months later. He and his mother moved to Jasper, Alberta, after a few years. Desrochers attended the Collège des Jésuites and subsequently the Collège Saint-Jean. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa, and, while there, he met his wife Marcelle Boutin, with whom he had five children.

In 1949, Desrochers entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta which, three years and one law degree later, garnered him an articling position with the McQuaig law firm. That position led to his partnership with Jean De La Bruyère and Sandy Mactaggart, as lawyer and legal advisor for Maclab Construction.

Desrochers is well known for his decades of community service, volunteer activities, service on numerous boards, and work within the francophone community. For his contribution, Desrochers has received numerous honorary degrees and is a Member of the Order of Canada. Desrochers was instrumental in the affiliation of Collège Saint-Jean with the University of Alberta. In 1963, he was appointed to the University's Board of Governors, where he used his influence to strengthen ties between the University and the Collège. He was elected Chancellor in 1970, and when he left the position in 1974, the Collège was well on its way to becoming integrated with the University of Alberta as the Faculté Saint-Jean. Today, Saint-Jean is integrated within the University as a satellite campus. Louis Desrochers lives in Edmonton and continues to be an inspiration to his community.

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RONALD NORMAN DALBY, 1974-1978

A native of Edmonton, Ronald Norman Dalby attended Norwood Elementary, Spruce Avenue Junior High, and Victoria High Schools. After graduation, he was employed as a technician by the Alberta Research Council (ARC) and worked in its Edmonton laboratories and Oils Sands Pilot Plant near Fort McMurray.

Following his year with ARC, Mr Dalby entered the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta in 1948. In 1952, he graduated with BSc in Civil Engineering (with Distinction). Upon graduation, he was awarded a National Research Council scholarship but, instead of taking it up to enter graduate school, elected to go work in industry and secured employment as Resident Manager in the Marketing Department of Imperial Oil Limited.

In 1955, Mr Dalby embarked upon his career in utilities, joining Northwestern Utilities as Assistant Distribution Manager. He remained with the company for 12 years, serving in various engineering and management positions.

In 1967, Mr Daly was named president of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). Serving six years as a member of the Association's Council, Dalby again served as Association President during the 1973-1974 year.

From 1967 through 1972, Mr Dalby worked as Assistant Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer of a group of International Utilities companies. These companies, located in the United States and Canada, were involved in petroleum operations, industrial manufacturing, motor carrier operations, and metal mining.

From October 1972 until his election as University Chancellor in 1973, Mr Dalby was Vice-President of Canadian Utilities Limited. As such, he was responsible for the operations of three major utilities, including Northwestern Utilities Limited, Canadian Western Natural Gas Company Limited, and Alberta Power Limited. Then, in March 1975, Mr. Dalby established R.N. Dalby & Associates, Ltd., a firm providing engineering and management consultation in the field of energy.

Having an unsurpassed ability to organize and get work done allowed him, during his time as an engineering student at the University of Alberta, to participate as an Officer Cadet in the University Auxiliary Squadron RCAF. It was during time that he developed an enthusiasm for flying. An enthusiastic flyer, Mr. Dalby obtained a pilot's license with night endorsement, was involved in advanced radio navigation courses, and, later, served as a director of the Edmonton Flying Club. Further to his own business involvements, Mr Dalby was also a director of Husky Oil Ltd. and Indian Oil Sands Economic Development Corporation Ltd.

Active in community affairs, Mr Dalby was a director of St Stephen's College, a charter member of Grace United Church, director of the Alberta Northwest Chamber of Mines, director of the Canadian Gas Association, past president of the Oil Capital Kiwanis Children's Aid Society, member of the advisory board of Guaranty Trust, member of the board of directors of Chembiomed Ltd., and, because of his long and deep involvement in industry, a member of the Alberta trade missions to Japan in 1963 and 1972.

In recognition of his outstanding community service, Dalby was presented, in November 1978, with the Alumni Association's highest honour. The University of Alberta's Alumni Golden Jubilee Award, consisting of a gold-plated tray and framed tribute, recognizes those citizens who have contributed to the welfare of the University. Also in 1978, Mr. Dalby was awarded life membership in APEGGA.

It should be noted that Mr Dalby is the second University Chancellor to be elected by the Senate. Prior to the University Act of 1966 and his election November 23, 1973, the Chancellor was elected by the alumni of the University. Mr Dalby, known for his outgoing and pleasing personality, drive, enthusiasm, and the conscientious manner in which he attended to both large and small matters, assumed his role July 1, 1974, succeeding Louis Armand Desrochers, who retired on June 30 of that year.

Dalby, his wife Elsie, and four children share and enjoy many activities, including skiing, travel, hunting, and fishing.

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JEAN BEATRICE FOREST, 1978-1982

Jean Beatrice Forest was born on July 24, 1926 in Minitonas, Manitoba. She was a teacher with the Manitoba School System before moving to Edmonton.

She was appointed to Alberta's first Human Rights Commission and was also involved with numerous other organizations. Forest was Chancellor of the University of Alberta from 1978 to 1982, and, in 1996, she was appointed to the Canadian Senate. She resigned from the Senate in 1998, due to concern for her husband's health.

Forest has also been an active businesswoman and has been honoured by numerous awards, including the Alberta Achievement Award. In 1987, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. An all girls junior high school in Edmonton, the Jean Forest Leadership Academy, is named in her honour.

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PETER SAVARYN, 1982-1986

Peter Savaryn was born in 1927 and immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 1949. He received his BA in 1955 and his LLB in 1956, both from the University of Alberta. Savaryn was a Senior Partner in the law firm Savaryn & Savaryn. He was the twelfth Chancellor of the University of Alberta, holding the position from 1982 to 1986.

A member of the Progressive Conservative Party since 1954, Savaryn served as vice-president of the national PC party for two years and was also president of the Alberta PC and Edmonton East PC Associations. For 25 years, he was a delegate to provincial and national leadership conventions.

Active in the Ukrainian community, Savaryn was the World Leader of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians and is a co-founder of both the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council.

Savaryn has a long history of cultural involvement and outstanding service to the Ukrainian-Canadian community. Affiliated with the YMCA, the Fort Edmonton Historical Society, Canada West Foundation, Canadian Wildlife Federation, and a founding member of the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council, Savaryn was also past president of the Edmonton Ukrainian-Canadian Committee, Ukrainian-Canadian Professional and Business Club of Edmonton, and National Executive of the Canadian Foundation of Ukrainian Studies. He served as chairman of the board of referees for the Unemployment Insurance Commission for the Edmonton district. His achievements and support for multiculturalism have earned him numerous awards, including the Shevchenko Medal, the highest award of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. He has also received an honorary LLD from the University of Alberta, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law Society of Alberta, and the University of Alberta's Alumni Association's Honour Award. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1987.

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TEVIE HAROLD MILLER, 1986-1990

Tevie Harold Miller received a BA from the University of Alberta in 1949 and an LLB in 1950. His years at the University were marked by his volunteer involvement, including, in 1949, his time as Students' Union President.

Miller, a dedicated practitioner of law, received a judiciary appointment in 1974 and rose to become Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, a position he held from 1984 to 1993. He was also Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest and Yukon Territories.

During these years, Miller's involvement with the University did not slow down. He became a member of the Senate and Board of Governors; he was the thirteenth Chancellor of the University of Alberta from 1986 to 1990. The Tevie H. Miller Teaching Excellence Award, given to professors in the Faculty of Law, as well as the Eva Toban Scholarship, named after his mother and awarded to students in the Department of Design, are funded by donations made by Miller. He was also president of the Alumni Association.

In addition, Miller was active in the larger community, serving as Chairman of the Board of the Edmonton Jewish Community Council, the United Way, and the Edmonton Symphony Society. He had a lifelong love of sports and, in addition to being a director of the Edmonton Eskimos, he was involved in organizing the 1978 Commonwealth Games and the 1983 Universiade Games. Miller was one of the founders of the Edmonton Community Foundation.

The Tevie H. Miller Heritage School Program in Edmonton, a specialized school teaching those with language-learning disabilities and disorders, is named in his honour. Miller was a 1996 recipient of the University of Alberta Distinguished Alumni Award. Tevie Miller passed away in 1996 at the age of 68.

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SANDY AULD MACTAGGART, 1990-1994

Sandy Auld Mactaggart was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1928. During World War II, he was evacuated to Canada, where he attended school at Lakefield College School in Ontario and Choate School in New England. In 1950, he graduated from Harvard College with a BA in architecture. In 1952, he received an MBA from Harvard Business School. That same year, he came to Edmonton. Two years later, he incorporated Maclab Enterprises Ltd, which engages in property development and venture capital activities in Western Canada, the United States, and other countries around the world.

Mactaggart has supported post-secondary education by acting as a member of the Harvard Resources Committee, trustee emeritus and former treasurer of the American University of Beirut, and Director and Vice-President of the Harvard Alumni Association. From 1983 to 1994, Mactaggart was a member of the University of Alberta Board of Governors and chaired the University's Real Estate Advisory Committee. He was the first Chair of the University of Alberta Foundation and was Chancellor of the University from 1990 to 1994.

A strong supporter of the arts, Mactaggart was one of four founders of the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton's first professional theatre. He has continued to be active with the Citadel as a governor and by sponsoring one production each year on the Maclab Stage, named in recognition of Mactaggart's company's contributions to its construction.

Mactaggart has also served on the founding boards of numerous organizations, including the Art Gallery of Alberta and Tempo School. In 1993, Mactaggart was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Royal Society of Canada.

In 1997, Mactaggart was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada; he became a Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence in 1998. He has also received the James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education from the Washington DC-based Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Mactaggart is married to Cécile Erickson.

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LOUIS DAVIES HYNDMAN, 1994-1998

Named the fifteenth Chancellor of the University of Alberta on June 10, 1994, Louis Davies Hyndman was born in Edmonton on July 1, 1935. He attended the University of Alberta, where he received a BA and an LLB. During his time at the University, he was Law Representative to the Students' Council (1957-1958), a speaker of the model parliament, and President of the Students' Union (1958-1959). He was also a member of the History Club and Debating Society executives, a McGoun Debater, and a member of Zeta Psi.

After graduation, Hyndman worked as a lawyer until 1967; it was then that he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. From 1967 through 1986, when he rejoined the law firm of Field Atkinson Perraton, Hyndman served as the Minister of Education, Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs, Government House Leader, and Provincial Treasurer. He was appointed to Queen's Counsel in 1975 and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993.

Hyndman has also chaired the Premier's Commission on Future Health Care for Albertans (1987-1989), the Royal Commission on a National Passenger System for Canada in the 21st Century (1989-1992), and the Canadian Safety and Accident Board Review Commission (1993). From 1993 through 1996, he was Honourable Captain with the 4th Destroyer Squadron of the Royal Canadian Navy.

An active member of the community, Hyndman has been involved with such organizations as the Alberta Association of Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities and Goodwill Rehabilitation Institute of Alberta. He was also a member of the board of directors of numerous corporations, including the CD Howe Institute, TransAlta Utilities, and the Asia Pacific Foundation.

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LOIS ELSA HOLE, 1998-2000

Lois Elsa Hole was born in Buchanan, Saskatchewan and moved to Edmonton in her teens, where she attended Strathcona Composite High School. For the last 50 years of her life, she lived on a farm on the Sturgeon River north of St Albert, which she and her husband Ted diversified into a thriving vegetable and mixed garden business. Their sons joined the business in 1979, and it was incorporated as Hole's Greenhouses and Gardens, Ltd.

Hole was elected a trustee for the Sturgeon School Division in 1967, when she began to champion lifelong learning. She served 14 years in the Division as trustee and chair before serving on the board of St Albert School District #6, and then the Athabasca University Governing Council from 1972 to 1983. In 1998, she was elected sixteenth chancellor of the University of Alberta.

Hole was a tireless supporter of the arts, libraries, and education, contributing to them through a number of programs, such as the Lois Hole Library Program, the Alberta School Boards Association "Lois Hole Lecture Series", and the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Program.

She also wrote six books on gardening, all of them Canadian bestsellers, as well as a collection of memoirs, photographs, and gardening advice called I'll Never Marry a Farmer. She gave hundreds of talks on gardening to thousands of people across North America, wrote columns for the Edmonton Journal, Globe and Mail, and Edmonton Sun, and appeared regularly on the "Grapevine" segment of CBC Television's Canadian Gardener.

Hole was the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including membership in the Order of Canada; the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Humanitarian Award; and honorary degrees from the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge and from Olds College.

Hole was selected as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta in February 2000, an office she held until her passing in January 2005 after a long battle with cancer. She was 71.

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JOHN THOMAS FERGUSON, 2000-2004

Born and raised in Edmonton, Mr. Ferguson graduated from the University of Alberta in 1964 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He articled for his chartered accountant designation with Price Waterhouse & Co. Mr. Ferguson is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Princeton Developments.

A prominent senior Canadian executive, Mr. Ferguson is also Chairman of the Board of TransAlta Corporation. As well, he serves on the Boards of a number of large public enterprises including the Royal Bank of Canada and Suncor Energy Inc. His current community involvement includes participation on the Boards of numerous research and educational associations including The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the C D Howe Institute, and the University of Alberta Business Advisory Council.

Mr. Ferguson has long been involved with the University of Alberta. A former Chairman of the Board of Governors (1994 to 1997), he is also a former Chairman of Research Technology Management Inc, a University of Alberta company mandated to profitably commercialize University researched technologies through the creation of spin-off companies. He is the Founder of the Northwest Territories Youth Education Program, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Alberta Foundation.

His many former directorships demonstrate a strong commitment to community service and educational support. Mr. Ferguson has served as Chairman of the United Way Major Corporation Division, as a Director of the Family Service Association of Edmonton, as a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Ernest C Manning Awards and as a Board Member of Ridley College and the Conference Board of Canada.

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ERIC P NEWELL, 2004-2008

Eric Newell is a retired Alberta business executive with a stellar history of corporate leadership and achievement, as well as an exemplary record of service to industry and community. Mr. Newell served Syncrude Canada Ltd. for 14 years as the company's Chief Executive Officer (1989-2003) and for nine years as Chairman (1994-2003). He also served as President from 1989 to 1997.
Under his leadership Syncrude, which is the world's largest producer of crude oil from oil sand, became a key player in the western Canadian economy, an increasingly significant source of energy supply for the entire nation, and a model of a reliably operated, environmentally efficient, socially responsible corporation. During Mr. Newell's tenure, Syncrude surpassed the billion- barrel production benchmark and embarked on an ambitious multi-billion dollar expansion program that continues today.

As President of the Alberta Chamber of Resources in the mid 1990s, he spearheaded the creation of the National Oil Sands Task Force, which in 1995 developed a comprehensive new energy vision for Canada. This vision led to the large-scale expansion now underway in the oil sands industry.

Through a wide variety of national, regional and local affiliations, Mr. Newell plays an active role promoting and creating opportunity for the wider community. He is well known, for example, for his successful and ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships between education and business, and for championing corporate social responsibility. Mr. Newell served on the University of Alberta Board of Governors for six years (1996 - 2002), the last four of those years as the Chair. In June, 2004, he was installed as the 18th Chancellor, University of Alberta.

Prior to joining Syncrude, Mr. Newell held a number of positions of increasing challenge and responsibility at Imperial Oil Limited and Esso Petroleum Canada.

Mr. Newell holds a Masters of Science in Management Studies (1968), University of Birmingham, England, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering (1967), University of British Columbia. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence, and has had honourary Doctorates conferred on him by the University of British Columbia (2003), University of Alberta (2002), and Athabasca University (1995). He has also been honoured by many other organizations whose interests lie in business leadership, education, youth development and public policy. Most recently, the Energy Council of Canada named him 2003 Energy Person of the Year.

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LINDA HUGHES, 2008-2012

Linda Hughes served as the 19th Chancellor of the University of Alberta and Chair of the Senate. She has been a leading figure in Canadian media for over twenty years and continues to be one of Canada's most influential communicators and advocates for education.

Ms. Hughes was the first woman in Canada to hold the position of publisher of a major newspaper. She began her career in journalism upon graduation from the University of Victoria (1972 Honours BA) when she was hired by the Victoria Daily Times. In 1976, she joined the Edmonton Journal and a rapid progression of newsroom management positions followed, including City Editor (1981) and Editor-in-Chief (1987). In 1992, she was named Publisher and President. In 2003, she became General Manager, Alberta Region, for CanWest Media Works. She retired in 2006.

She has served on the boards of the National Newspaper Awards, the Journalism Foundation of Canada and the Committee to Protect Journalists. In 2007, she spent two months as a volunteer in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, helping a daily newspaper to prepare for its role in a new democracy. She was a member of the board of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada from 2002 to 2008.

Deeply committed to her community, she is a founding member of the NorQuest College Foundation and a former chair of the board of the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. She is currently a member of the Edmonton Homeless Commission and serves on the boards for the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. She also serves on the board of the Torstar Corporation.

She has received honorary degrees from the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria.

Widely respected for her integrity, imagination and generosity of spirit, she believes that a strong education system, from outstanding inner city schools to outstanding universities, gives us the tools tackle the most challenging issues facing our economy, our society and our planet.

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RALPH BARCLAY YOUNG, 2012-2016

Ralph Barclay Young served at the 20th Chancellor of the University of Alberta.

Ralph holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Alberta.

Ralph retired on July 2, 2013 as Chief Executive Officer of Melcor Developments Ltd. in Edmonton, after a 42-year career with Melcor in the real estate development industry.

Ralph has served on the boards of the Winspear Concert Hall Society, the Citadel Theatre, MacEwan University, Alberta College, the Edmonton Eskimos Football Club, the Rotary Club and the City of Edmonton Centennial Committee. He also served as a director or trustee with the Caritas Health Group, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions. He currently serves on the Board of Melcor Development Ltd., Melcor REIT, the Edmonton Regional Airport Authority, ZCL Composites Inc., the Citadel Theatre, the TELUS Edmonton Community Board, the Edmonton Homeless Commission and is a member of the Rotary Club of Edmonton and the Association of Professional Engineers of Alberta.

A past president of the University of Alberta Alumni Council and the School of Business Advisory Council, he is deeply committed to expanding educational opportunities that allow individuals to reach their personal potential.

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DOUGLAS R. STOLLERY, 2016-2020

Doug graduated with an LLB from the Faculty of Law of the University of Alberta in 1976 and with an LLM from Harvard Law School in 1980. He practised law with the firm of Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP for a period of almost 30 years before joining PCL Constructors Inc. in 2006 as general counsel. He retired from PCL in 2013 and now serves as a community volunteer and as counsel to Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP.

Doug's service to the University of Alberta includes serving as sessional lecturer in the faculties of law, business and extension; member of the Faculty of Law Advisory Committee; director of the Alberta Law Reform Institute; and fundraiser for and donor to the university.  Doug also served as vice-chair of the board of governors of Grant MacEwan Community College (now MacEwan University) and served as chancellor of St. Stephen's College.

Doug's service to the legal profession includes serving as president of the Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Branch and a director of the Legal Education Society of Alberta.

Doug's service to the community at large includes serving as president of the Victoria School Foundation for the Arts; governor of the Certified General Accountants' Association of Alberta; 
director of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation; director of Edmonton 2001 World Championships in Athletics; director of CARE Canada; director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation; volunteer to AIDS-Free World; and president of the Stollery Charitable Foundation

His awards include Canadian General Counsel Lifetime Achievement Award; University of Alberta Distinguished Alumni Award; Grant MacEwan University Distinguished Citizen Award and Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree; Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal; Alberta Human Rights Commission - Suzanne Mah Award; and Edmonton Bar Association - Eileen Nash Award.

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Peggy is passionate about words and ideas. She owns her own consulting company, working with companies, organizations and individuals to facilitate conversations, address issues, clarify their purpose, and develop their unique brands. 

For more than ten years, she served as Chief Reputation and Brand Officer at ATB Financial. She led a team of creative and talented people responsible for creating ATB’s story and transforming its brand in the marketplace, marketing ATB’s services and raising its profile and reputation with Albertans, expanding ATB’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, investing in sponsorships and community initiatives across the province, ensuring clear and consistent internal and external communications, and providing insights on Alberta’s economy. 

Prior to joining ATB, Peggy owned and operated her own business as a strategic communications consultant and was instrumental in writing a number of provincial and national reports in finance, health and education. 

Peggy is past chair of the board for the Winspear Centre and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, chairs the board for the Edmonton Screen Industries Office, is a member of the board for the Art Gallery of Alberta and she serves as an Executive Fellow for the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. She previously served as a member of the Advisory Board for the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Alberta Mental Health Foundation and was a founding member of the St. Albert Community Foundation.

Peggy holds two degrees from the University of Alberta – a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology. She also is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D). In 2013 she was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal. 

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Contact Us

Office of the Chancellor & Senate
322 Arts & Convocation Hall
University of Alberta
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senate@ualberta.ca
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Senate Staff Contacts