UCC community members join Order of Canada

 

James Arthur ’62 is now a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest level of honour for the Order. He was appointed for his seminal contributions to contemporary mathematics, notably through his groundbreaking advancements to the theory of the trace formula, which relates geometric and spectral information. 

 

Arthur became the second Canadian to win the prestigious Wolf Prize in Mathematics from Israel’s Wolf Foundation four years ago.

 

The former president of the American Mathematical Society was a professor at Yale University and Duke University in the United States before becoming a professor at the University of Toronto in 1978.

 

“I have had scientific recognition in Canada, but I feel very proud — and thrilled — to be recognized more broadly with the Order of Canada,” Arthur said in an article on the U of T website.

 

 

John Godfrey ’61 is now a Member of the Order of Canada for his commitment as a public servant and educator who enriched Canada’s media landscape.

 

Godfrey was first elected to the federal House of Commons as the member of parliament for Don Valley West in 1993. He was re-elected four times, holding the position until 2008.

 

Prior to politics, Godfrey served as vice-president of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He was also editor of Financial Post for four years and spent 14 years in academia, holding various positions at the University of Kings College, including associate professor, president and vice-chancellor. He was most recently the headmaster of the Toronto French School.

 

Godfrey has been involved in many community and public service organizations. He served as president of the Council for Canadian Unity, co-founded the Committee of Concerned Nova Scotians for Justice, and was a board member of the National Film Board and Pollution Probe.

 

Bengt Jörgen, the father of Old Boys Anders Jörgen ’09 and Pelle Jörgen ’13, was also named a Member of the Order of Canada. He was chosen for his commitment to promoting ballet in Canada as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director.

 

Jörgen co-founded Canada’s Ballet Jörgen in 1987 and serves as its artistic director and chief executive officer. In 1992, the former National Ballet of Canada member’s artistic vision led to the formation of a partnership with George Brown College in Toronto, where he’s the artistic director of its full-time dance program.

 

The Stockholm, Sweden native has created more than 30 full-length ballets for numerous ballet and opera companies, including the National Ballet of Canada, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the American Ballet Studio Company and the Hong Kong Ballet.

 

 

Beatty became an Officer of the Order of Canada, the position between Member and Companion, in June for his lifetime of public service as a community leader and corporate visionary.

 

Beatty was first elected to Canada’s House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative at the age of 22 in 1972. In 1979 he became, at the time, the youngest person ever appointed to a Canadian cabinet when prime minister Joe Clark made him minister of state for the Treasury Board.

 

Prime minister Brian Mulroney made Beatty the minister of national revenue and minister responsible for Canada Post in 1984. He subsequently served as solicitor general of Canada, minister of national defence, minister of national health and welfare, minister of communications, and secretary of state for external affairs before losing his seat in 1993.

 

Prime minister Jean Chrétien appointed Beatty president and CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1995. He became president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters in 1999 and assumed the same roles with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2007. He’s also served as chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ont.