Rectors

This position, unique among Canadian universities, was established in 1912 and modelled after similar positions at Scottish universities. The primary function of the Rector is to represent students on the Board of Trustees. Some Rectors, however, have also used the office in a more informal way to help students with administrative problems by providing information and advice.

The Rector also has certain ceremonial responsibilities, the most important of which is to join the Chancellor and the Principal on the dais at convocations. The Rector is frequently called upon to represent students on university committees, such as those which select the Principal and honorary degree recipients.

The Rector is now elected by students to a three-year term, but until 1969 no students were chosen; instead, the Rector tended to be some prominent friend of Queen's, such as the senior public servant O.D. Skelton (1929-1935), former Prime Minister R.B. Bennett (1935-1937), and the businessman and chair of the CBC Leonard Brockington (1947-1968). In 1969, students forced the resignation of the Rector, Senator Grattan O'Leary - since that time, students have been elected to the post ever since.

Go to the Rector site

Rectors since 1913:

  • The Rev S. Dyde (1913)
  • James L. Robertson (1916)
  • Brigadier General A.E. Ross (1920)
  • William Coverdale (1925)
  • Oscar Douglas Skelton (1929)
  • The Rt Hon R.B. Bennett (1935)
  • The Hon Norman McLeod Rogers (1937)
  • The Earl of Athlone (1940)
  • B.K. Sandwell (1944)
  • Leonard Brockington (1947)
  • The Hon Grattan O'Leary (1968)
  • R. Alan Broadbent (first student Rector) (1969)
  • Gary Michael Gannage (1972)
  • Bruce W. Trotter (1974)
  • Morris Chochla (1976)
  • Hugh Christie (1978)
  • Jeremy Freedman (1980)
  • James Harris (1982)
  • Richard Powers (1984)
  • Kelley McKinnon (1986)
  • Charis Kelso (1988)
  • Antoinette Mongillo (1990)
  • David Baar (1992)
  • Peter Gallant (1994)
  • Ian Michael (1996)
  • Michael Kealy (1998)
  • Daniel Sahl (2000)
  • Ahmed Kayssi (2002)
  • Grant Bishop (2004)
  • Johsa Marie G. Manzanilla (2006)
  • Leora Jackson (2008)
  • Nick Day (2010)
  • Nick Francis (2011)
  • Mike Young (2014)
  • Cam Yung (2016)
  • Alexandra da Silva (2018)
  • Sam Hiemstra (2020)
  • Owen Crawford-Lem (2022)
  • Niki Boytchuk-Hale (2024)