It isn't always easy to stand out in a place like McGill, a school that attracts excellence. Sure, each graduating class has its stars, its valedictorians, its Academic All-Canadian Athletes, but how often can someone say they received their degree alongside a 10-time Stanley Cup winner? Or the Governor-General? Or one of the champions of Can Lit in Quebec?
This fall, more than 1,500 graduating students will be able to boast that they convocated with Jean Beliveau, Michaëlle Jean and Judith Mappin, all receiving honorary degrees.
The convocation ceremonies for Fall 2006 will be held Friday, Nov. 10 in Place des Arts Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. The ceremony for all undergraduate students and for those graduating from the Centre for Continuing Education will be held at 9:30 am. The afternoon session for all students receiving graduate degrees begins at 3:30 pm.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General
and Commander-in-Chief of Canada
Doctor of Letters
Friday, November 10, 9:30am
Michaëlle Jean was appointed Governor General of Canada in September, 2005. Before her appointment, Jean had a high-profile career as a journalist and host of current affairs programs. Jean earned numerous honours for her journalistic achievements, including: the Human Rights League of Canada 1989 Media Award, a Gemini Award and the inaugural Amnesty International Canada Journalism Award. The same sense of social commitment that led her to journalism has also informed her diplomatic role as a champion of internationalism and human rights, especially in her native Haiti.
Jean Beliveau
Doctor of Laws
Friday, November 10, 3:30 pm
One of the greatest hockey players of all time, Jean Beliveau is also one of the sport's most respected ambassadors. A masterful puck-handler with a magician's touch around the net, "Le Gros Bill" tallied more Stanley Cup points than any other player in history. In 1971, Beliveau became only the fourth player in NHL history to score 500 goals. He retired that same year after hoisting Lord Stanley's coveted cup for an amazing tenth time. Since then, Beliveau has been a tireless philanthropist, establishing the Jean Beliveau Fund, which provided much-needed assistance to underprivileged children in Quebec and the rest of Canada. In 1993, he transferred the foundation to the Society for Disabled Children. In 1998, he was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada.
Judith W. Mappin
Doctor of Letters
Friday, November 10, 3:30 pm
Judith W. Mappin, Canadian bookseller and philanthropist, earned her BSc at McGill in 1950. In 1974, she established The Double Hook Book Shop on Greene Avenue in Montreal with two partners and became a well-known champion of Canadian authors. Mappin served a term as Director of the Canadian Booksellers Association, and was a founding member and director for nine years of the Quebec Society for the Promotion of English Language Literature (QSPELL). For two years, Mappin served on the jury selection committee of the Quebec Writers Federation.