Andrew Stewart
Andrew Stewart was born January 18, 1904 in Edinburgh, Scotland to parents Marcia Sabina (Sprot) and Andrew Stewart. He earned a CDA (1924) from East of Scotland College of Agriculture, as well as a BSA (1931) and an MA (1933) form the University of Manitoba.A lecturer of economics and agricultural economics at the University of Manitoba in 1932-33, Stewart joined the University of Alberta in 1935.
He served the University of Alberta as a lecturer of political economy (1935-37), an assistant professor of political economy (1937-44), an associate professor of political economy (1944-46), professor and head of the Department of Political Economy (1946-50), and most notably, as the University’s fifth president from 1950-59.
During his tenure at the University, Stewart contributed to several CKUA broadcasts.
After leaving the University of Alberta, Stewart went on to become chairman (1959-69) of the Board of Broadcast Governors in Ottawa. From 1967-70, he was chairman of the Alberta Universities Commission and in 1972-73, he was a consultant with CIDA University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
From 1938-42, Stewart was a member of the Canadian Council on Nutrition with the Department of National Health and Welfare in Ottawa. In 1945-46, he was executive secretary with the Alberta Reconstruction Council of the Dominion Department of Reconstruction. Advisor (1947-48) to the Royal Commission on Provincial-Municipal Relations, Stewart was also commissioner (1948-49) of the Royal Commission on Natural Gas for the Province of Alberta, a member (1955) of the Royal Commission on Canada’s Economic Prospects, and chairman (1957) of the Royal Commission on Price Spreads in Food Products. Named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1958, Stewart was also chairman (1958) of the Association of Canadian Universities and of the Commonwealth Universities Conference. In 1973, he was involved with the Sidney Advisory Commission and the Provincial Capital Commission.
In recognition of his achievements, Stewart was presented with a number of honorary degrees, including honorary Doctor of Laws degrees (LLD honoris causa) from the Universities of Manitoba (1951), New Brunswick (1955), Melbourne (1955), and Alberta (1959); and an honorary Doctor of Economics (DEcon honoris causa) from Université Laval (1952). In 1985, the Andrew Stewart Graduate Prizes for Doctoral Studies were endowed by the University of Alberta and named for Stewart, under whose administration the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research was created.
Stewart married Jessie Borland in 1931; they had six children, Robert, Ian, William, Sabina, Janet, and Patrick.
Stewart passed away July 14, 1990 in Victoria, British Columbia.