File 14 - Biosketches.

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Biosketches.

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  • Source of title proper: Title provided by creator.

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SCA224-GA469-2-14

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1 drawing : ink on paper ; 16 x 16 cm

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Name of creator

(1939-2022)

Biographical history

James Downey was born in Winterton, Newfoundland in 1939. He graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and attended the University of London as a Rothermere Fellow where he earned a Ph.D. in English Literature. Downey began his career at Carleton University. There, he held a series of academic and administrative posts including Vice-President Academic and President pro tempore.

From 1980 to 1990, Downey was President of the University of New Brunswick. During that period, he also served terms as President of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, Chair of the Association of Atlantic Universities, and Chair of the Corporate-Higher Education Forum.
From 1990 to 1993, Downey was Special Advisor to the Premier of New Brunswick; Special Advisor to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; and co-chair of the New Brunswick Commission on Excellence in Education, which published two reports that guided educational reform in that province.
James Downey was President of the University of Waterloo from 1993 to 1999. During his presidency of the University of Waterloo, he also served terms as Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities and Chair of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
After stepping down as president of the University of Waterloo, he founded and directed Canada’s first centre for the study of co-operative education, located at Waterloo; led an annual seminar for new university presidents sponsored by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; and from 2007 to 2010 was the founding president of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

Among Downey's awards are nine honorary degrees; the Symons Medal for outstanding service to higher education in the Commonwealth, received from the Association of Commonwealth Universities in 2000; and the David C. Smith Award for contributions to universities and public policy in Canada, received from the Council of Ontario Universities in 2003. In 1996, Downey was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. And, in 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal Military College of Canada.

Downey's publications include The Eighteenth Century pulpit (Oxford University Press, 1969), Fearful joy (McGill-Queen1s University Press, 1973), Schools for a new Century and to live and learn (reports of the New Brunswick Commission on Excellence in Education, 1992, 1993), and Innovation : essays by leading Canadian researchers, edited with Lois Claxton (Key Porter Books, 2002).

James Downey died in March 2022.

Custodial history

Scope and content

Materials related to biographical sketches written by James Downey. Contains writings about different people, tributes and essays by Downey, materials accumulated by Downey to support his research (such as news stories and photocopies of photographs), and related correspondence.
Titles of speeches and articles are:

  • "A toast to Tom" (May 14, 2003),
  • "Foreword" to Otto Tucker That nothing be lost (2003),
  • "Mary Louise Lynch: lawyer; adviser & confidante of Lord Beaverbrook,"
  • "Protectorate to Province: Newfoundland, 1934-1957,"
  • "Ernest Fletcher Downey" (July 14, 2006),
  • "Jemima Anne (Andrews) Downey" (May 13, 2000),
  • "Dorothy (Downey) Elder" (January 31, 2000),
  • "Margaret (Downey) Richards, on the 50th anniversary of her marriage,"
  • "Lorne Parott" (July 9, 2000) and related correspondence,
  • "Roland Hawkins" (April 11, 2000) and related correspondence,
  • "Arthur S. Butt" (August 11, 2001),
  • "Memories are made of this & that: recollections of life on Long's Hill, 1955-1956,"
  • "Cott Fillier: a quick sketch" (September 16, 2005),
  • "Dunville" (January 11, 2000),
  • "George Story" (December 29, 1999)
  • "Paul West" (January 6, 2000),
  • "Eric Richards (1924-2004)" (August 4, 1999),
  • "John Hutchinson",
  • "Donald Soper" (January 2000),
  • "A tribute to Chester Campbell" (March 1995),
  • "A tribute to Eric Garland" (February 1997),
  • "A toast to Harrison McCain" (January 17, 1998),
  • "A toast to James F. O'Sullivan" (April 23, 1999),
  • "Bob Burridge: a tribute (sort of)" (April 12, 1991),
  • "For Colin B. Mckay" (March 30, 1999),
  • "Beaverbrook's choice: the appointment of Colin B. Mackay as President of UNB" (February 18, 2003),
  • "Tom Condon" (May 14, 2003),
  • "Mary Ives (Anglin) Mackay,"
  • "The Beaverbrook Beneficence" (January 1992),
  • "Frank McKenna" (April 13, 2006),
  • "Ted Williams" (July 11, 2002),
  • "The brothers Kennedy at UNB. Introduction,"
  • "Notes for remarks about Les Harris at AAU Dinner" (March 22, 1990),
  • "Opening of Pratt exhibition" (September 16, 1993),
  • "Senator J. Trevor Eyton" (January 19, 1994),
  • "Michael Higgins" (May 9, 1994),
  • "Introduction for peter Gzowski" (February 16, 1995),
  • "Alex Colville" (November 10, 1995),
  • "Remarks for the opening of an exhibition of the sculpture of Judith Schwartz" (January 14, 1998),
  • "Installation of Bonnie Patterson: Luncheon talk" (October 2, 1998),
  • "Introduction for David Johnston" (May 19, 1999),
  • "Brian Hendley" (June 2, 1999),
  • "Peter Harvey Sims to be Doctor of Laws" (June 15, 1999)
  • "For Jim Kalbfleisch" (December 10, 2000),
  • "For Susan Shantz" (April 24, 2000),
  • "For Ian Lithgow, friend and colleague" (October 19, 2000),
  • "Paul Mitchell" (April 3, 2001),
  • "Arnold Naimark" (August 1998),
  • "Anastasios Christodoulou: the very model of a Secretary General" (August 2002),
  • "Introduction for Michael Ignatieff" (January 24, 2001),
  • "For Paul Davenport, Officer of the Order of Canada" (October 28, 2002),
  • "Conclusion to slide/video tribute to Valentine O'Donovan" (October 29, 2002),
  • "J. Robert S. Prichard to be Doctor of Laws" (May 18, 2002),
  • "For Lyle Hallman: a funeral tribute" (October 31, 2003),
  • "Russel Legge: a funeral tribute" (March 28, 2004),
  • "Welcome to the groom & toast to the bride" (May 2005),
  • "For Bill Klassen" (April 23, 2006),
  • "Words for Robin" (March 24, 2013),
  • "For Mary Bales,"
  • "For Doris Nicholson" (August 21, 2015),
  • "A funeral tribute for Jim Kalbfleisch" (April 30, 2017).

Also includes one drawing by Gerard Brender à Brandis titled “Winterton, Newfoundland” and photocopies of photographs.

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Donated by James Downey in 2019.

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  • English

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Signatures note

Drawing by Gerard Brender à Brandis titled “Winterton, Newfoundland,” includes annotation on the back that reads: “25 October 96 in Stratford.”

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The records in this file were physically separated into multiple folders.

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Described by CGD in 2022.

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  • English

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