Ref. No. 109
DATE: April 7, 2000
SUBJECT: Memorial University names honorary degree recipients
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien leads a group of 11 outstanding Canadians who will receive honorary degrees from Memorial University during this spring's convocation ceremonies. Joining Canada's prime minister on Memorial's convocation stage will be his brother, renowned research scientist Dr. Michel Chrétien; historian Dr. Peter Neary; former federal cabinet minister Monique Bégin; nationally-known Newfoundland entertainers: Andy Jones, Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh and Greg Malone; Senator William Rompkey; entrepreneur Craig Dobbin; and folklorist and linguist Dr. John Widdowson.
About 2,000 degrees will be awarded at 10 sessions of convocation, starting with Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook on Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. Convocation in St. John's will take place in the Physical Education Building May 24-26, with sessions daily at 9:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Editors please note: biographies of honorary degree recipients in order of presentation and a schedule of spring convocation follows. Photos of honorary graduands are available at www.mun.ca/univrel/photos.html.
Peter Francis Neary
Dr. Peter Neary was born on Bell Island
and educated at Memorial University where he earned a BA and MA in
history. Dr. Neary earned his PhD from the University of London (London
School of Economics) in 1965 and joined the faculty of the University of
Western Ontario as assistant professor the same year. Dr. Neary has
written extensively on the history of Newfoundland with particular
attention to the period of Commission of Government, party politics in
Newfoundland and relations between the province and the governments of
Quebec, Canada and Great Britain. Dr. Neary has edited and contributed to
nine books and dozens of scholarly articles, many in collaboration with
faculty in Memorial's history department. Among them, he edited,
introduced and contributed to The Political Economy of Newfoundland
1929-1972 (1973) and, with Dr. Patrick O'Flaherty, produced an anthology
of historical writings, By Great Waters (1974). In 1980, with Dr. James K.
Hiller, he edited and wrote for Newfoundland in the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Centuries. Drs. Neary and O'Flaherty published Part of the Main
in 1983, an illustrated history of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dr. Neary's
1988 work Newfoundland in the North Atlantic World 1929-49 was a finalist
for the Trillium Book Award in Ontario and a runner-up for the Canadian
Historical Association's John A. Macdonald prize. In 1996, Dr. Neary
edited and introduced White Tie and Decorations: Sir John and Lady Hope
Simpson in Newfoundland, 1934-36. Dr. Neary will receive an honorary
doctor of letters degree during Grenfell's session of convocation, Friday,
May 5, at 10 a.m.
Jean Chrétien
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was born in
Shawinigan, Québec. After attending schools in Shawinigan, Joliette and
Trois-Rivières, he studied law at Laval University. He was called to the
bar in 1958, and joined the law firm of Chrétien, Landry, Deschênes,
Trudel and Normand, in Shawinigan. He served as director of the bar of
Trois-Rivières in 1962-63. Mr. Chrétien was first elected to the House of
Commons in 1963 representing the constituency of Saint-Maurice- Laflèche.
Between 1965 and 1986, Mr. Chrétien served as parliamentary secretary to
Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, minister of state attached to the
minister of Finance, minister of National Revenue, minister of Indian
Affairs and Northern Development, president of the Treasury Board,
minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, minister of Finance, minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada and minister of state for social
development, minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, and deputy prime
minister and secretary of state for External Affairs. Mr. Chrétien
resigned from the House of Commons in 1986. From March 1986 to June 1990
he was a counsel with the law firm of Lang Michener Lawrence and Shaw with
offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. He was also a senior advisor
with Gordon Capital Corporation in Montreal. In 1990, Mr. Chrétien was
elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was elected member of
Parliament in the December 1990, by-election in the riding of Beauséjour
(New Brunswick). He was sworn in as leader of the opposition in the House
of Commons later that year. He was re-elected member of Parliament for the
riding of St-Maurice in 1993, when his party won a majority of seats in
the House of Commons. He was sworn in as prime minister of Canada on Nov.
4, 1993. He was re-elected in 1997 with another majority. Mr. Chrétien
will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the 3 p.m. session of
convocation on Wednesday, May 24.
Michel Chrétien
Dr. Michel Chrétien was trained as a
physician at Harvard University and the University of Montreal. While he
was an assistant biochemist at the University of California at Berkeley,
he discovered the gamma-liptotropic hormone, which is involved in the
control of obesity. In 1967, Dr. Chrétien opened a laboratory on
polypeptide hormones at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal
(CRIM), where he worked for 30 years. His research led him to propose the
innovative theory that such peptide hormones are produced from large
precursor proteins. The theory was confirmed in 1970 by the isolation of
beta-endorphin, a potent painkiller that is naturally produced in the
brains of humans and animals. Dr. Chrétien also helped discover the
mammalian protein convertases, factors that produce smaller hormones from
larger proteins. The discovery has opened up new approaches for the
treatment of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and viral infections.
Dr. Chrétien is currently chief executive officer and scientific director
of the Loeb Health Research Institute at the Civic Campus of the Ottawa
Hospital. Since assuming that role in 1998, Dr. Chrétien has championed
several groundbreaking projects. He is particularly excited about the new
Regional Protein Chemistry Centre whose construction has just been
completed at the Loeb. It will focus on developing preventive measures to
combat diseases such as Alzheimer's, atherosclerosis, diabetes and AIDS.
An Officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of Québec, Dr. Chrétien
has written nearly 500 journal and science articles, holds three other
honorary degrees and has taught and lectured at numerous universities
worldwide. Dr. Chrétien will receive an honorary doctor of science degree
at the 3 p.m. session of convocation on Wednesday, May 24.
Monique Bégin
A sociologist by training, Monique Bégin
served as executive secretary of the Royal Commission on the Status of
Women in Canada from 1969-1970, followed by two years in research at the
CRTC before becoming the first woman from Quebec elected to the House of
Commons, as a Liberal in 1972. Re-elected in 1974, 1979 and 1980, she was
appointed parliamentary secretary to the minister of Foreign Affairs
(1975-76). Sworn in as minister of National Revenue in 1976, she then went
on to become minister of National Health and Welfare from 1977-1984. She
remains best known for the Canada Health Act (1984). Ms. Bégin left
politics in 1984 to return to the world of academics. She taught at
University of Notre Dame and at McGill before becoming, in 1986, the first
holder of the joint chair in women's studies at Ottawa and Carleton
Universities. Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of
Ottawa from 1990-97, she also chaired the Royal Commission on Learning of
Ontario and served on the International Independent Commission on
Population and Quality of Life. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Canada and has received several honorary doctorates in recognition of her
contribution to human rights and to public policies. In 1998, she was
invested as Officer of the Order of Canada. Named professor emerita in
1997, she currently teaches at the master's health administration program
at the University of Ottawa. Ms. Bégin will receive an honorary doctor of
laws degree at the 9:30 a.m. session of convocation on Wednesday, May 25.
Andy Jones
A founding member of the comedy troupe CODCO,
Andy Jones was born in St. John's and educated at St. Bonaventure's
College, Gonzaga High School, Saint Mary's University, the University of
Toronto and the University of Alberta. Mr. Jones joined CODCO in 1974 and
became one of the province's best-known actors in the 1970s and 1980s. Mr.
Jones entered the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company in 1972,
performing children's plays and British farce and later joined the Ken
Campbell Road Show in England for its production of Pilk's Madhouse. In
1974 Mr. Jones returned to Newfoundland and participated in CODCO
productions, television work, and productions with the Sheila's Brush
Company. Mr. Jones was a founding member of the Resource Centre for the
Arts in 1979 and served on the board of directors for the LSPU Hall until
1984. In the 1980s his work expanded to formal theatre. In 1984 he won the
Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council's first Neala Griffin Award for
achievement in theatre. Throughout the remainder of the 1980s Mr. Jones
wrote and performed the CBC radio series, Letters from Uncle Val, and
directed various plays, including The Argentine Consul and Wedding in
Texas. Between 1986 and 1990 he co-authored and performed in 38 shows for
the CODCO national television series. He resigned from CODCO in 1990
following CBC's censoring of a sketch. Mr. Jones will receive an honorary
doctor of letters degree at the 3 p.m. session of convocation on Thursday,
May 25.
Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones was born in St. John's and educated
at Holy Heart of Mary High School. A 20-year veteran of the award-winning
comedy troupe CODCO, Ms. Jones' remarkable empathetic and chameleon- like
abilities allow her to completely immerse herself in her characters, be
they male or female. These talents allow her to portray complex and
difficult characters in a way which still manages to endear them to
Canadians. Ms. Jones joined the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Co. in
1973 and performed in The Starrigan. Moving to Toronto and helping to
found CODCO, she worked on the troupe's earliest show Cod on a Stick and
performed in both Toronto and Newfoundland. After 1980 Ms. Jones worked
with the Sheila's Brush company, performing in Jack Meets the Cat and
Midsummer Nightmare. She also acted in Resource Centre for the Arts
productions and appeared in the television series The Wonderful Grand Band
and CODCO. Ms. Jones' one-woman show Wedding In Texas was a smash hit
across Canada, showcasing her ability to take pot shots at the war between
the sexes without alienating either sex. Her film career includes the lead
role in the Mike Jones film Secret Nation and a role as a professional
wrestler in Mark Tolefson's film Desiree's Wish. In 1995, Ms. Jones
co-hosted the Juno Awards with the rest of the cast of This Hour Has 22
Minutes. Beyond her work on the popular television show This Hour Has 22
Minutes, Ms. Jones co-hosted the live gala presentation of the 1998 Gemini
Awards with Steve Smith. Ms. Jones has recently completed a one hour
comedy special, Cathy Jones Gets a Special featuring top comedians from
across Canada to be broadcast on CBC TV. Ms. Jones will receive an
honorary doctor of letters degree at the 3 p.m. session of convocation on
Thursday, May 25.
Greg Malone
Greg Malone was born in St. John's and educated
at St. George's School, St. Bonaventure's College, Gonzaga High School and
Memorial University, where he graduated with a BA in English. Mr. Malone
is best known for the CODCO television series and his impersonations of
political icons such as Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the Queen and
Barbara Frum. Besides the 63 CODCO shows, Mr. Malone wrote and performed
in 43 Wonderful Grand Band shows for the CBC, many specials, radio
programs, countless stage shows and international theatre tours. Most
recently, he directed the popular and award-winning docudrama The Untold
Story of the Suffragists of Newfoundland, in which he also appeared as Sir
Richard Squires. His wildly funny one-man special for the Comedy Channel,
Pocket Queen, picked up a Gold Award for comedy at the 1999 Houston
International Film and Television Festival. As a political activist, Mr.
Malone participated in the campaign that stopped the privatization of
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. Mr. Malone has championed other
environmental causes, including fighting the importation of garbage to
Newfoundland. After the death of his long-time performing partner Tommy
Sexton, Mr. Malone devoted some years of his life to making Sex, Drugs and
HIV, to raise awareness of the impediment prejudice is to the health care
of persons infected with HIV or living with AIDS. Mr. Malone is currently
the New Democratic Party candidate for the upcoming federal byelection in
St. John's West. Mr. Malone will receive an honorary doctor of letters
degree at the 3 p.m. session of convocation on Thursday, May 25.
Mary Walsh
Born in St. John's and educated at Ryerson
Polytechnical Institute, Mary Walsh has been bringing her particular bent
on politics and current affairs to comedy fans since the award-winning
CODCO troupe hit the stage 20 years ago. During CODCO's years on CBC
Television (1987-93), Ms. Walsh was honored with numerous Gemini Awards.
In the early 1970s, Ms. Walsh toured Newfoundland and Labrador with the
Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company. In 1972 she was a member of the
Mummers Troupe. While studying drama at Ryerson in 1973 Ms. Walsh was
involved in the collective writing of Cod on a Stick, the first CODCO
play, with Tommy Sexton, Cathy Jones, Dyan Olsen and Paul Sametz. The
show's initial run was in the fall and winter of 1973-74 in Toronto, while
in the spring the play toured Newfoundland.
Throughout her professional career as an writer, actor and director, Ms. Walsh has worked extensively with local artists at the Newfoundland's Resource Centre for the Arts. She has appeared in many films, television shows and stage productions. In 1992, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Atlantic Film Festival for her performance in Mike Jones' Secret Nation. Among her characters on This Hour Has 22 Minutes are the flagrantly outspoken Marg Delahunty, redneck commentator Dakey Dunn and wacky Prairie correspondent Connie Bloor. Beyond her work on the television series This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Ms. Walsh performed in a feature role in the mini series Major Crime. Ms. Walsh will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree at the 3 p.m. session of convocation on Thursday, May 25.
William Hubert Rompkey
Senator William Rompkey was born in
Belleoram, Fortune Bay, and educated at Bishop Field College in St. John's
and Memorial University, where he received a BA, diploma in education and
MA. He went on to study at the University of London, England, before
starting a career in teaching. Mr. Rompkey taught at Upper Island Cove and
St. John's, and in 1963 was appointed principal of the Yale Amalgamated
School at North West River. Mr. Rompkey entered national politics in 1972,
interrupting studies for a PhD at the University of Toronto. He was
elected Liberal member of parliament for Grand Falls-White Bay-Labrador
and was subsequently re-elected four times. In 1988, he was elected member
for the newly-formed riding of Labrador. In the 1970s Mr. Rompkey held
appointments as parliamentary secretary to the ministers of Environment,
Fisheries and Manpower and Immigration. On the retirement of Don Jamieson
from federal politics in 1979 he became the senior Liberal Member of
Parliament from Newfoundland and Labrador and, beginning in 1980, held
cabinet portfolios of National Revenue, Small Business and Tourism, and
Mines and Transport. With the defeat of the Liberal administration in the
1984 general election, he became opposition critic for Consumer and
Corporate Affairs, Secretary of State and National Defence. In 1990, he
was official observer from the International Democratic Institute for
International Affairs for national elections in Bulgaria. Mr. Rompkey was
chosen as the Memorial University Alumni Association's Alumnus of the Year
in 1989. In 1995, Mr. Rompkey was appointed to the Senate of Canada,
representing Labrador. Mr. Rompkey will receive an honorary doctor of laws
degree at the 7:30 p.m. session of convocation on Thursday, May 25.
Craig Laurence Dobbin
Entrepreneur Craig Dobbin was born in
St. John's and received his early education at St. Bonaventure's College.
After a period of employment with P. J. Dobbin Lumber and Building
Supplies, Mr. Dobbin engaged in a short-haul trucking venture and
underwater salvage operation until he started real estate speculation in
St. John's in 1963. The venture, later known as Omega Investments Ltd.,
moved operations to Ottawa and subsequently established offices in
Montreal. During his residence in Ottawa and Montreal Dobbin became
involved in the construction industry. In the early 1970s Dobbin returned
to Newfoundland and established Sealand Helicopters Ltd. in 1976. By 1981
the Dobbin parent companies and subsidiary enterprises were involved in
real estate, construction, aviation, marine enterprises and investments
throughout eastern Canada. But it is in the high flight world of
helicopters that Mr. Dobbin has made his mark on the world of
international business. Mr. Dobbin added Toronto Helicopters, Okanagan
Helicopters and British International Helicopters under his wing. In 1999,
CHC Helicopters Corporation, with Mr. Dobbin as CEO and chairman, took
control of Helicopter Services Group ASA of Norway, making CHC Helicopters
the largest provider of global helicopter transportation. Along with his
business success, Mr. Dobbin is chairman of the Ireland Canada University
Foundation, located in Dublin, which assists and promotes Canadian studies
in Irish universities, and Honorary Consul of Ireland for Newfoundland and
Labrador. Mr. Dobbin will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the
3 p.m. session of convocation on Friday, May 26.
John David Allison Widdowson
Folklorist and linguist John
Widdowson was born in Sheffield, England, and educated at Oxford
University, the University of Leeds, and Memorial University, where he
earned his PhD. Dr. Widdowson came to Memorial in the 1960s to teach
English language and completed his doctoral studies. He later joined the
folklore department, serving as head in 1974-75. In 1974 he was elected to
the first executive of the Canadian Oral History Association. Along with
Dr. George Story and Dr. William Kirwin, Dr. Widdowson was co-editor of
the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, and, with Gerald Thomas, edited
Studies in Newfoundland Folklore: Community and Process. Dr. Widdowson was
founding director of the Centre for English Cultural Tradition and
Language at the University of Sheffield, and in 1985 was named honorary
research associate in folklore and language at Memorial University. He is
also founding editor of the journal Lore and Language, and co-director of
the Institute for Folklore Studies in Britain and Canada.
His publications include If You Don't be Good...: Verbal Social Control in Newfoundland (1977), Studies in Linguistic Geography: the Dialects of England in Britain and Ireland (1985) and Word Maps: A Dialect Atlas of England (1987). Dr. Widdowson will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree at the 7:30 p.m. session of convocation on Friday, May 26.
For further information, please contact Ivan Muzychka, manager, Memorial University News Service, 737-8665, cell # 687-9433, e-mail: ivanm@mun.ca.