Alumni of Influence

Barbara Frum was one of Canada’s most respected broadcast journalists. She wrote for The Toronto Star before joining CBC Radio in 1971 as the host of As It Happens, where she became widely known for her interviewing skills. Throughout the 1980s, she hosted 2,600 episodes of the news magazine, The Journal, where she interviewed many notable figures, including Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela. Frum’s signature calm and integrity set an example for fellow reporters, and she is often credited with paving the way for female journalists in Canada.

Child actress, businesswoman, hospital leader and philanthropist Helen Gardiner Phelan left a lasting impact. A director of Scott's Hospitality and Cara Holdings and president of the Langar Foundation, she created two chairs in women's health, a drama professorship and the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse at University College. Seeking always to be a good example of women's participation in public life, she chaired Women's College Hospital and, subsequently, Lyndhurst Hospital.

Eminent psychologist and mental health pioneer Reva Gerstein is a longtime advocate for people with psychiatric conditions. She is known for her signature non-medical approach, which calls for basic social supports for psychiatric survivors. Gerstein served as the first woman chancellor of Western University, and has held leadership positions with several hospitals, charities and arts organizations. She established the Gerstein Crisis Centre, helped create Mental Health Week and lent her expertise to many committees and tasks forces. She has been recognized with six honorary doctorates and numerous other awards and accolades.

Investment mogul Ira Gluskin is the co-founder of Gluskin Sheff + Associates, an independent wealth management firm whose clients include some of the most noted families and individuals in Canada. After graduating from UC, he worked in the investment industry for two decades, gaining a reputation as a leading securities analyst. A strong supporter of arts and cultural organizations, Gluskin has also served as chair of the U of T Asset Management Corporation.

Community titan Anne Golden is one of Canada’s foremost proponents of social justice. She is the former chief executive officer of the United Way of Greater Toronto and the Conference Board of Canada. Golden gained national renown as the chair of task forces on the Greater Toronto Area and homelessness and has served as policy advisor to the Ontario Liberal Party. She holds eight honorary doctorates and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network, among many other accolades.

Marketing tycoon Martin Goldfarb has made tremendous contributions to public life and the business world. A sociologist by training, he is an expert in human behaviour as it relates to the marketplace. A leading figure in marketing since the 1960s, he is the founder of Goldfarb Intelligence Marketing, an internationally renowned market research firm. He has consulted for numerous high-profile international brands, including Ford and DeBeers, and served as the official pollster for the Liberal Party of Canada for nearly 20 years. Goldfarb has also dedicated considerable energy to philanthropic activities as a foundational supporter of several arts and educational institutions.

Publisher and editor Cynthia Good has made an indelible mark on the printed word in Canada. The UC English graduate served as the first editorial director of Penguin Books Canada, where she worked with authors John Ralston Saul, Michael Ignatieff, Alice Munro, Mordecai Richler and Timothy Findley, among others. The former fiction editor for The Walrus, Good is also the founder of the Creative Book Publishing Program at Humber College. She is currently an adjunct professor at Trent University and a popular speaker at book fairs across the nation.

Lawyer Edwin Goodman’s influence extended from the courtroom to the political backroom. The former chair of the National Conservative Party, Goodman was a close friend and advisor to former Ontario premiers John Robarts and Bill Davis (BA 1951 UC). One of the founding partners of the Toronto law firm Goodmans LLP, he was also a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.

Computing pioneer and scholar Calvin Carl Gotlieb is aptly described as the father of computing in Canada. He co-founded the computation centre at U of T in 1948 and was part of the team that built the first computers in the nation. Gotlieb also created the first course in computing to be offered at a Canadian university and the first graduate department in computer science, both at U of T. An expert in mathematical, business and scientific applications, he is often consulted on social issues, timetables, graph theory, international development and seaway calculations.

Computer scientist J. Wesley Graham was a leader in the field of software development in Canada. He worked for IBM until he joined the University of Waterloo in 1959, where he served as the first director of the Department of Computer Science. In the 1960s, he collaborated with the Ministry of Education to pioneer the creation of software to support education. Upon his death, his papers were donated to the University of Waterloo, where they formed the start of the J. Wesley Graham History of Computer Science Research Collection.

Distinguished scholar Francess Halpenny is the prolific author and editor of articles on Canadian biography, publishing and the humanities. She is the former dean of the Faculty of Library Science (now the Faculty of Information) at U of T. The editor of the definitive Dictionary of Canadian Biography from 1969 to 1988, Halpenny also held leadership positions with U of T Press and the National Library of Canada. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the prestigious Molson Prize for research.

Critically acclaimed television writer and series creator Hart Hanson has entertained millions across North America. He studied English at UC where it was the encouragement of his professors that turned him onto writing. Hanson wrote for and produced many Canadian shows including Road to Avonlea, Street Legal and North of 60, and created the Bay Street drama, Traders, before moving to Los Angeles and writing for Ally McBeal, The Practice and Judging Amy, among others. He created the hit show Bones in 2005 and The Finder in 2012. He is the winner of four Gemini Awards and the Austin Film Festival's Outstanding Television Award.