HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN RALSTON SAUL: A distinguished man of letters and a noted intellectual, His Excellency John Ralston Saul has challenged and enlightened readers with his novels and essays.

Born in Ottawa in 1947, and christened in Calgary, Saul went to public school in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. He received an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University, and his PhD at King’s College at the University of London. After creating and managing a European investment firm in 1973, he served in Calgary as Special Assistant and Policy Advisor to the founding Chairman of Petro-Canada from its first day of operations in 1976 to 1979.

Between 1977 and 1994, Saul wrote five novels which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His first novel, “The Birds of Prey,” was published first in French in France and was an international success.
His best-known essay is “Voltaire’s Bastards – The Dictatorship of Reason in the West,” published in 1992.

It was the first part of a trilogy which included “The Doubter’s Companion – A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense,” and concluded with The 1995 Massey Lectures – “The Unconscious Civilization,” which – in its published form – won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.

Saul has continued this work through two national programs, French for the Future / Le français pour l’avenir, and The LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium.
Saul is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, and in 2000 was the first recipient of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Public Education Advocacy Award.

ORDER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RECIPIENT LEN VINCENT HILLS: Leonard Vincent Hills has spent much of his career bringing the study of geology to the community.

Born in Judah, Alberta, Hills received his Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Geology at the University of British Columbia in 1960. He went on to specialize in palynology, receiving his Masters of Science from UBC in 1962, and his PhD from the University of Alberta in 1965.

In 1966, he joined the faculty of the U of C as an assistant professor in the Department of Geology, rising through the ranks to become a full professor in 1974 and a faculty professor in 1996. He is now Professor Emeritus.
Over the years, he has led many geological, archaeological and natural history field trips around Alberta for the general public, schoolteachers, professional geologists, and on behalf of the Calgary Philharmonic Society.

He has taught courses ranging from basic Introductory Physical Geology to the most advanced seminars, and has supervised and advised many Masters of Science and Ph.D candidates. Hills has served as editor of many publications and has also served as president of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.

Hills has become known for his work examining the stratigraphy and paleontology of the Canadian Arctic Islands, as well as in researching archaeological sites within Alberta.

AFTERNOON CEREMONY

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT SHARON POLLOCK: Sharon Pollock is one of Canada’s most acclaimed playwrights – a writer who has become known for her intelligent, literate storytelling, inspired by a lifetime of experience.

Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Pollock began work as an actor in the 1960s, winning a best actor award at the 1966 Dominion Drama Festival. She wrote her first play in 1971, “A Compulsory Option,” which won the Alberta Playwriting Competition.

Since then, her works have been published around the world. Pollock has twice won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama for her plays “Blood Relations” (1981) and “Doc” (1985). In 1987, she received the prestigious Canada Australia Literary Award for her body of work. Her work has also been performed at the Stratford Festival.

In 1988, her historical drama “Walsh” was produced by Theatre Calgary as a major part of the 1988 Cultural Olympics, held in conjunction with the Winter Games.

Pollock has served as chair of the Advisory Arts Panel of the Canada Council, was an advisory committee member for the National Arts School, and was associate director of the Stratford Festival Theatre. She has also served as artist-in-residence for many of Canada’s top theatres.

Pollock was a founding member and artistic director of Calgary’s Garry Theatre from 1991 to 1997, as well as the former executive director and principal dramaturge of the Alberta Playwrights Network.

ORDER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RECIPIENT GERALD PATRICK GRASSICK: Gerald Patrick Grassick has been an active member of the University of Calgary faculty community for nearly 30 years.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts (English) degree in 1970 and his Masters degree in Social Work in 1973, both from the U of C, Grassick was appointed at the university as a sessional counsellor in October 1974. He was granted tenure in 1978.

Grassick worked for the university for 27 years, retiring as a Senior Counsellor at the end of 2001. He was appointed Senior Counsellor Emeritus in July 2003.
Students at the U of C and beyond came to appreciate Grassick’s counseling and teaching skills.

From July 1992 until his retirement, Grassick supervised the Peer Support Program in Counselling and Student Development.

Grassick served 18 years as an elected board member of the University of Calgary Faculty Association. He served on the board of directors of the Canadian Association of University Teachers in the mid-1980s, later becoming a member of CAUT’s Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee.

He was recognized as a Companion of the Order of the Good Servant by the University of Calgary Faculty Association in 2001.