Father Roger Guindon: The University of Ottawa’s first Secular President
In 1964, Father Roger Guindon was the president of an academic institution owned by the Catholic Church. A year later, that same institution was transformed into the non-religious and publically funded University of Ottawa we know today. Guindon, who was president of the University of Ottawa from 1964-1984 has died at the age of 92, but will forever be remembered fondly at U of O.
Father Guindon first came to the University of Ottawa in 1933 where he enrolled to complete his high school degree. Ten years later, in 1943, he completed a bachelor of Arts specializing in Philosophy. He went on to complete a degree in Theology and was ordained a priest in 1946. Guindon then taught at the University for 17 years in the faculty of Theology, where he was also Dean for four years. During his 20 years term as President (or Rector as it was called then), Guindon witnessed many large changes at the University of Ottawa, the biggest being the transition from a Church run institution to a provincially funded university. A statement released by the current President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, Allan Rock, mirrors the importance of Guindon’s roll in these changes. “Father Guindon was a remarkable man who will be remembered with deep respect and affection for his many qualities and achievements,” read a statement by Rock. “Perhaps more than anything else, however, his name will forever be associated with the astonishing transformation he brought about at our university. Roger Guindon was nothing less than the founding father of the modern University of Ottawa. Under his remarkable leadership, a small private institution owned by the Roman Catholic Church transformed itself in 1965 into what was to become one of Canada’s leading public universities.”
Another revolution that took place under the guidance of Father Guindon was his self-proclaimed “Alice in Wonderland” approach to bilingualism. As a francophone, Guindon found bilingualism to be a unique and important part of the University of Ottawa. Guindon’s approach to further bilingualism at the university was to have the Anglophone professors teach classes in French and the Francophone professors teach classes in English, which ensured cross-cultural fertilization took place within the two languages at the university. Guindon was always very proud of the fact that although the French and English could sometimes not get along within Canada, they worked together well here at the U of O.
Guindon was also very involved in the creation of Health Sciences and medical programs within the University of Ottawa. He helped set up funding from the Government for the campus on Smyth Road, which is now named after him. Father Guindon also took major steps towards establishing student seats on the Ontario Board of Governors which was originally requested by current president Allan Rock. Rock describes student seats as “a rather radical notion at the time.” Guindon persuaded the other members of the board of governors and eventually student seats were implemented into the Board of Governors, which allowed students to also represent the interests of the university.
Rock says that Guindon was a modest man and would be displeased with a large memorial or collaboration in his name, but that the University of Ottawa today is the large monument it’s self to his hard work and dedication to this University. Father Guindon’s legacy will always be remembered as we attend classes, go to the library or hang out in the UCU as we are constantly reminded how lucky we are to be a part of such a well established university.
Left to right: Gilles Patry, Father Roger Guindon, Huguette Labelle and Marcel Hamelin at Tabaret Hall.
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