Emeritus Governor

1965-1984

Father Roger Guindon, OMI, CC, served as Rector of the University of Ottawa from 1964 to 1984, presiding over its transition from a small and private Oblate Catholic institution to a flourishing, provincially-assisted, public university. In this role, he was the University’s first Executive Head as it entered a new era of growth and development. 

Headshot of Roger Guindon.

Biography

Father Guindon also played a critical role in acquiring provincial support for the construction of the health sciences complex on Smyth Road; the core of an 80-acre Health Sciences Centre that includes the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Royal Ottawa Regional Rehabilitation Centre, as well as the University’s faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Prior to his impressive twenty-year tenure as Rector, Father Guindon was a student, professor, and dean at uOttawa. He enrolled in 1933 to complete his high-school studies and later earned a Bachelor in Philosophy (1942) and a Bachelor in Theology (1945). In 1946, he was ordained a priest, and from 1947 to 1964 taught in the Faculty of Theology, where he also served as dean for four years. 

Father Guindon has spent more than 70 years on the uOttawa campus. All those who know him, or who have worked with “Père Guindon,” graciously return his tremendous affection for the University – especially the students, who hold him in extremely high regard. 

Just as Father Guigues is credited as the founder of uOttawa and Father Tabaret is considered its builder, Father Guindon can rightfully be recognized as the University’s catalyst – the guiding force behind its modern transformation.

Under his leadership, uOttawa expanded significantly, laying the foundation for its emergence as one of Canada’s great institutions of higher learning. Today, students continue to reap the positive and lasting benefits of Father Guindon’s “joie de vivre,” vision, and perseverance as he remains an active figure in the University community.

Awarded eight honorary doctorates and two fellowships from post-secondary institutions across Ontario and Quebec, Father Guindon is a passionate advocate of bilingualism and the preservation of French culture and has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to public service.