People Who Have Made Us Think > Politics
Egerton Ryerson
Core Contribution
Egerton Ryerson, namesake of present day Ryerson University, was a pastor, politician, patron of the arts and sciences and an education giant. He was directly influential in the secularization of the Clergy Reserves which led to the reform and recreation of the education system in Upper Canada, making it affordable and accessible to all and not just the privileged few.
Ryerson, a Methodist minister, first gained popularity as a strong voice within the Methodist community lobbying for their and other non-conformist religious groups’ rights. The foundation was laid for education in Canada today, when Ryerson’s report on education models was codified in the first School Act. This not only led to regularization of curriculum and materials but also pre-service training, professional development and the establishment of the Journal of Education. Most noteworthy, was Ryerson’s creation of the Normal School at St. James Square, where Ryerson University presently sits. The school birthed art, cultural, and scientific institutions in Ontario like the Museum of Natural History and Fine Art.
Biography
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson served for 11 years as Editor of the Christian Guardian, an influential newspaper he founded in 1829. He, after securing a Royal Charter and funding, was principal of the present day Victoria University in 1841. Three years later in 1844, Ryerson was appointed by the Governor General as Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada. In this capacity, he was able to have the first of three School Acts passed in 1846. The landmark erection of the Normal School took place in 1852. From 1874-1878 Ryerson served as President of the Church in Canada, and during this time, he retired as a public servant. Egerton Ryerson died in 1882, but is immortalized in Saint James Square, the physical embodiment of his legacy.
Additional Information
www.ryerson.ca/archives/egerton.html
www.norfolklore.com/history/index.html
