Andrew Stewart (1950–1959)
Andrew Stewart was born in Scotland in 1904. He joined the University of Alberta staff in 1935 when he became a professor in the Department of Political Economy. He later became Director of the School of Commerce and, in 1949, was Dean of Business Affairs.
He was President of the University of Alberta from 1950 to 1959, a period of rapid growth and expansion. Stewart continued to follow the building plan laid out by his predecessor, Dr Robert Newton. During Stewart's term as President, numerous buildings were built at the University of Alberta, including the Administration Building. As President, Stewart created the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and strongly supported the development of Studio Theatre. He also supported the hiring of many new staff members, both academic and non-academic, and he increased salaries so that staff would be motivated to remain at the University of Alberta.
In 1959, Stewart went to Ottawa where he served for ten years as Chair of the Board of Broadcast Governors, the forerunner to the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission. He later returned to Alberta to chair Alberta's Universities Commissions. During the 1970s, Dr Stewart was active in establishing the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
Dr Stewart was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and received five honorary degrees. He passed away July 14, 1990 in Victoria, British Columbia. The Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize, offered by the University of Alberta, is named in his honour.