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Peter George (professor)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Peter James George, (born September 12, 1941) is a Canadian
economist
and university administrator. On June 30, 2010, he retired after serving three five year terms as President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario
.
, Ontario
, George graduated from the University of Toronto Schools
and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962, a Master of Arts degree in 1963, and a Ph.D. in 1967 from the University of Toronto
. He joined McMaster University as a lecturer in 1965. In 1967, he became an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor in 1971, and a Professor of Economics in 1980. From 1974 to 1979, he was Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and from 1980 to 1989 was Dean of Social Sciences. He was appointed president of McMaster on July 1, 1995 and served three five-year terms. He retired on June 30, 2010, and was replaced by Patrick Deane formerly of Queen's University.
From 1991 to 1995, he served a term as president of the Council of Ontario Universities
.
In 1999, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
.
Dr. George is also a trustee of the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates
, as well as the chair of the Hamilton chapter of the United Way.
In October 2007 Peter George was named honorary Lt.Col. of 705 (Hamilton) Communication Squadron, a reserve signals unit in the Canadian Forces.
In December 2007, Peter George was made a Member of the Order of Ontario
.
Peter George is the grandfather of six. His first wife, Gwendolyn Scharf, died of cancer in 1997. In 1998 he married Allison Barrett, and in 2008 they adopted a daughter from China.
The contract, meant to remain confidential, provides Dr. George with a $1.4 million retirement allowance, to be paid over 14 years. The payments are to made at the rate of $99,999 per year, which was $1 below the threshold that would require the payments to be reported publicly under salary-disclosure legislation in place when the contract was signed. In 2006 Ontario Universities became subject to Freedom of Information legislation, and the Hamilton Spectator newspaper applied to request release of the contract; the university fought for two years to prevent this release until it finally provided the newspaper with the contract in 2008.
In a Hamilton Spectator article in March 2010, the paper states that Dr. George now considers attempting to hide the retirement bonus from disclosure to be "the most foolish thing he did in office". According to Dr. George, "I take full responsibility for the stupidity of converting my post-retirement allowances into a figure that was seen quite clearly as an attempt to avoid public disclosure."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and university administrator. On June 30, 2010, he retired after serving three five year terms as President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
.
Accomplishments
Born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, George graduated from the University of Toronto Schools
University of Toronto Schools
The University of Toronto Schools is an independent secondary day school affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962, a Master of Arts degree in 1963, and a Ph.D. in 1967 from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He joined McMaster University as a lecturer in 1965. In 1967, he became an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor in 1971, and a Professor of Economics in 1980. From 1974 to 1979, he was Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and from 1980 to 1989 was Dean of Social Sciences. He was appointed president of McMaster on July 1, 1995 and served three five-year terms. He retired on June 30, 2010, and was replaced by Patrick Deane formerly of Queen's University.
From 1991 to 1995, he served a term as president of the Council of Ontario Universities
Council of Ontario Universities
The Council of Ontario Universities builds awareness of the university sector’s contributions to the social, economic and cultural well-being of the province and the country, as well as the issues that impact the sector’s ability to maximize these contributions...
.
In 1999, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Dr. George is also a trustee of the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, as well as the chair of the Hamilton chapter of the United Way.
In October 2007 Peter George was named honorary Lt.Col. of 705 (Hamilton) Communication Squadron, a reserve signals unit in the Canadian Forces.
In December 2007, Peter George was made a Member of the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
.
Peter George is the grandfather of six. His first wife, Gwendolyn Scharf, died of cancer in 1997. In 1998 he married Allison Barrett, and in 2008 they adopted a daughter from China.
Contract Controversy
According to Maclean's Magazine, Peter George was Ontario's highest paid university president and received over $500,000 in salary and taxable benefits in 2007. The executive of the McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA) passed a resolution in late June 2008 that raised questions about the appropriateness of some of the specifics of President George's post-retirement payments in the form of research leaves and expressed concerns about the secrecy that seems to have characterized the process involved in his controversial contract.The contract, meant to remain confidential, provides Dr. George with a $1.4 million retirement allowance, to be paid over 14 years. The payments are to made at the rate of $99,999 per year, which was $1 below the threshold that would require the payments to be reported publicly under salary-disclosure legislation in place when the contract was signed. In 2006 Ontario Universities became subject to Freedom of Information legislation, and the Hamilton Spectator newspaper applied to request release of the contract; the university fought for two years to prevent this release until it finally provided the newspaper with the contract in 2008.
In a Hamilton Spectator article in March 2010, the paper states that Dr. George now considers attempting to hide the retirement bonus from disclosure to be "the most foolish thing he did in office". According to Dr. George, "I take full responsibility for the stupidity of converting my post-retirement allowances into a figure that was seen quite clearly as an attempt to avoid public disclosure."
Publications
George has a number of publications to his credit in his academic career, including two books:- Government Subsidies and the Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (New York : Arno Press, 1981) ISBN 0405137575
- The Emergence of Industrial America: Strategic Factors in American Economic Growth Since 1870 (Albany : State University of New York Press, 1982) ISBN 0873955781 (hard cover), ISBN 087395579X (paperback)
External links
- McMaster President's Message
- http://www.mcmaster.ca/pres/qualify.html