Honours for ailing former Mac president Peter George
Student residence named for him
“ALL OF YOU KNOW that I have not been well,” said Peter George, who retired as McMaster University’s longest-serving president seven years ago.
He addressed a private event on campus last Friday, where the university paid tribute to him with an honorary doctor of laws degree and announced his name would grace a new student residence.
And then George made light of his failing health, joking that his “chronic condition” has been that his blood is Mac maroon and grey, a symptom of his undying love for the school where he served an unprecedented three terms as president.
His 1,700-word speech, recorded on video a day earlier, was played while he was at the unusual convocation ceremony for one, seven weeks ahead of official convocation.
“You have long been figuratively, and you are now literally, in a class by yourself,” said school chancellor Suzanne Labarge in Convocation Hall, in remarks posted online.
George, 75, has appeared frail and it is widely known in the McMaster community that he is seriously ill.
“It seemed appropriate given the situation to offer this tribute to him at this time,” McMaster president Patrick Deane told The Spectator. “But what lies behind that, is the uniqueness of the contribution being honoured.”
The 12-storey building in the heart of the campus is still under construction, and will be named the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning.
The degree — one of five honorary degrees he has received — comes 52
years after George moved from Toronto to Hamilton to teach economics at the university when he was 23.
He said in his speech that he cried when he learned of the tributes.
“I am touched and so humbled by this occasion today and the honours my McMaster family have so lovingly bestowed on me. I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams that a day like today would come.”
The new building, which will have 500 beds for students, in addition to classroom and daycare space, is the first on-campus student residence built in nearly 15 years.
Deane said it offers a suitable bookend, in a sense, to George’s career, because one of the buildings the former president was most proud of, built on his watch, was the McMaster University Student Centre.
“Peter’s commitment to, and passion for, McMaster students is inspiring.”
McMaster experienced a building boom during George’s reign as president, which included construction of the football stadium, athletic centre and engineering facility.
“Peter had a very great love for the institution and arising out of that he had powerful ambition for the institution … The growth in enrolment, sponsored research, and I suppose the ascent of the university in global rankings, these are remarkable contributions.”
George began his Mac career as a lecturer and later served as dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, before being named president in 1995. He retired in 2010.
He was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1999 and the Order of Ontario in 2007.
In retirement, he has served on a number of boards and been a senior adviser to the director of the United Nations University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, said a McMaster news release.
In his speech, George said he loved his work (“I have never worked a day in my life at Mac!”) and thanked family: his sister Karen, adult children Jane and Mike, and Lily Rose and Gemma, two daughters he and his wife, Allison Barrett, adopted from China.
He concluded quoting poet Walt Whitman: “Be not discouraged, keep on, there are divine things well envelop’d/I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.”
“Peter’s commitment to, and passion for, McMaster students is inspiring.” PATRICK DEANE PRESIDENT, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY