Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine - 44

BACK IN THE DAY
President David Agnew's tribute to
the Honourable William G. Davis
WHEN I ARRIVED AT Queen's Park in 1982, the Big Blue Machine
captained by Bill Davis, who died in August, was firing on all cylinders.
The Progressive Conservative dynasty, at that point four
decades long, seemed invincible and, from a political opponent's
perspective, undefeatable.
Political scientists and historians will have their view of why,
once Bill Davis retired as premier in 1984, the wheels fell off the
Tory machine and a year later they were relegated to the opposition
benches. But I have no doubt that had he decided to contest
his fifth election as premier, having won the past four, he would
have cruised to victory. He was absolutely at the top of his game.
It's been my privilege to have known several prime ministers
and premiers, and I am unabashedly a huge Bill Davis fan. Like all
politicians, his record has some blemishes. Few in the public spotlight
for decades would be different.
But his accomplishments, both policy and political, are legendary.
For those of us at Seneca, and our colleague colleges, he is literally
our creator. It was his vision, his drive, his determination
that created the Ontario college system in 1965 over the objections
at the time of, among others, universities and the Liberals (as he
often delightedly recalled).
As education minister, and later as premier, he put the Progressive
in Conservative. His ability to read the public mood, and
divine the needs of a modernizing province, got better and better
the longer he was in office. I wasn't a fan of everything he did, but
I always admired how he went about it.
Seneca awarded Mr. Davis (I would never, ever call him Bill)
our first-ever honorary degree in 2006 as a gesture of thanks for
his role in creating the college system.
44 RED 2021
And I was privileged to welcome him on campus for our
50th anniversary celebration where we showered him with honours:
only the second person (after our founding president William
T. Newnham) to receive the Order of Seneca, we renamed the
Don Mills entry road Premier Davis Boulevard and registered one
of our new planes with his initials in the call sign.
I wouldn't presume to call Bill Davis my friend, but once I came
to Seneca we reconnected and would talk occasionally. Something
in the news would trigger a call, and he loved to get caught up on
what we were doing.
Every conversation - spiked with his great sense of humour
and a little political gossip - had one common element: he would
recall my previous political life and observe that, despite the fact
that I had been " philosophically misguided, " I seemed to turn out
all right. I heard that many times, and never tired of it. Getting an
okay from Mr. Davis was, well, awesome.
But those conversations had another common element: his
genuine interest in Seneca. As I would boast of the exploits of
our students and employees, even over the phone I could tell he
was beaming.
Along with the founding of TVO, I believe the establishment of
the college system was his proudest achievement.
Yes, it's a different time, and politics has changed, but it has to
be said that we will not see the likes of Bill Davis again. Thoroughly
decent, hugely accomplished, truly modest. In the best sense of
the phrase, a Canadian giant.
Thank you, Mr. Davis.
PHOTO: SENECA ARCHIVES
Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine

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