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Alumni of the Ontario Agricultural College

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OAC alumni represent the strength and purpose of the college.

Over 30,000 strong, our alumni contribute to the agriculture, food, environmental and community development sectors locally, nationally and internationally. Our alumni are also strong supporters of the college.

There are many ways you can re-engage and contribute to the impact of OAC's community.

Ways of Giving to OAC
Info for agri-food professionals
Give Now to OAC

How to get involved

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Connect with fellow alumni

Alumni groups within the OAC foster life-long connections amongst fellow alumni. Connect with the OAC's Alumni Association, Alumni Foundation and the Landscape Architecture Alumni Association and reconnect with your alma-matter.

Alumni Association
Alumni Foundation
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Support our impact

Donors are an essential part in advancing teaching, research, and the student experience in OAC. A philanthropic donation helps its students and researchers in helping OAC achieve its mission to Improve Life.

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Alumni reunions

Reunions are a popular way of re-connecting with former classmates and we encourage alumni to plan on-campus reunions when possible. Many classes choose to host their reunions during Alumni & Reunion Week which is held every June. It is an exciting time to hold a reunion and celebrate milestone anniversaries.

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OAC's 150th Anniversary Celebrations.

Your Legacy. Our Future.

Since opening our doors in May 1874, we've become internationally renowned for our research, teaching and knowledge extension in the broad areas of food, agriculture, communities and the environment. We are proud of our legacy and can't wait to kick off our celebrations in May 2024.

Learn more about our 150th Celebration
Read the Libranni

There are many other ways to reconnect with OAC and your fellow alumni. Below are just a few ways to re-engage, friend-raise and give back:

  • Update Your Contact Information
  • Volunteer on the OAC Alumni Association
  • Attend or volunteer at an alumni event
  • Follow OAC on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
  • Host a reunion
  • Become an Ambassador
  • Make a donation
  • View in memoriam stories on our website
  • Hire an OAC student to work on a project at your organization
  • Share a photo from when you were on campus: Email them to oacnews@uoguelph.ca. We'd love to post them on the website or on social media.

Recognizing Excellence of OAC Alumni

Established in 1960, the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame honours and celebrates Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to the Agriculture and Food industries. Many OAC alumni have been the recipients of this national honour:

Year Name & Graduating Class
1961 Robert W. Wade 1905
1962 Robert M. Holtby 1886
1962 Walter D. Jackson 1909
1962 William R. Motherwell 1881
1963 Herbert H. Hannam 1926
1963 Percy H. Moore 1910
1964 G.S. Horace Barton 1907
1964 George E. Day 1893
1966 William J. Rutherford 1903
1967 John J.E. McCague 1921
1971 Ernest Charles Drury 1900
1971 William P. Watson 1928
1972 John Arthur Carroll 1914
1972 William Robert Reek 1910
1973 Erle Kitchen 1910
1974 Charles A. Zavitz 1888
1975 William R. Graham 1894
1976 George E. Raithby 1922
1977 Leonard H. Newman 1903
1978 Helen May McKercher 1930
1983 Frederick M. Campbell 1938
1984 Edward T. McLaughlin 1937
1986 F.W. Presant 1923
1990 G.F. Townsend 1938
1991 J. Clarence Rennie 1947
1993 Everett Biggs 1948
1996 Robert Hardy Shore 1951
1998 Clayton Switzer 1951
1999 George R. McLaughlin 1946
2001 Charles Gracey 1958
2004 John E. Moles 1936
2005 Byron E. Beeler 1963
2006 Peter Hannam 1962
2009 Robb Gowe 1945
2010 Bertram Stewart 1954
2010 Hon. Lyle Vanclief 1966
2013 John Wise 1956A
2013 Donald Ziraldo 1971

On a provincial level, the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame opened June 1st, 1980 with the induction of nine pioneer agriculturists, three of them graduates from OAC. Since that time, many more OAC alumni have been presented with this honour in recognition of their significant contributions to the welfare and improvement of Ontario agriculture.

Year Name & Graduating Class
1980 Stewart A. Brown 1947
1980 James A. Garner 1923
1980 Herbert H. Hannam 1926
1981 David A. Jones 1966
1982 William H. Bell 1915
1982 George I. Christie 1902
1982 Douglas H. Hart 1922
1983 T. Richard Hilliard 1940
1983 Joseph E. Johnson 1919
1983 Alexander R. Stewart 1899
1984 Watson H. Porter 1911
1984 George E. Raithby 1922
1986 William Graham 1894
1986 Alexander McKinney IV 1961
1986 Edmund F. Palmer 1913
1986 Alma J. Wagg 1900
1988 Helen May McKercher 1930
1988 George N. Runke 1923
1989 Ernest C. Drury 1900
1990 John J. E. McCague 1921
1991 Elliot Irwin McLoughry 1922
1991 Osborne L. Sager 1925
1991 Harold W.M Smith 1916
1992 John A. Dalrymple 1935
1993 Lawrence McKay Kerr 1929
1994 George Stuart Atkins 1939
1994 George A. McCague 1928
1996 James Ross Cavers 1929
1998 Arthur H. K. Musgrave 1920
1998 Douglas Lyle Parks 1940
1999 A. Mac Cuddy 1942
2001 Ken Lantz 1945
2002 Gordon Bennett 1943
2002 Oliver Bradt 1938
2002 Rick Richards 1938
2002 George Early 1960 (Ridgetown)
2002 Donald M. Shaver 1995
2003 George McLaughlin 1946
2004 Tom E. Chudleigh 1963
2004 Alex F. Henry 1951
2004 Donald N. Huntley 1941
2004 Francis Redelmeier 1941, 1945
2005 Brian S. Ellsworth 1959
2005 Murray Gaunt 1956
2005 Garnet A. Ralph 1947 (Kemptville)
2005 Clayton M. Switzer 1951
2006 Harvey J. Brown 1963
2006 Keith R. Collver 1949
2006 Ross W. Irwin 1951
2006 George E. Jones 1950
2006 J. Stanley Knapp 1914
2006 W. Stanley Young 1949
2008 Paul Ekstein 1954A
2013 Arthur Bennett 1951
2013 John (Jack) James 1972
2013 John Oliver 1961
2014 Art Bolton 1955
2014 Gordon Surgeoner 1971, 1973
2015 D. Murray Brown 1951, 1953
2015 Peter Hannam 1962
2015 Peter M. Lindley 1957
2015 Donald W. Lobb 1960 (Ridgetown)
2016 William (Bill) L. Campbell 1955
2016 Bruce Christie 1958A
2016 Graeme W. Hedley 1964
2016 Tom Sawyer 1959A, 1964
2017 John (Jack) Riddell 1952A, 1957
2017 John (Jack) Charles Steckley 1906A, 1911
2020 John Curtis, BSA ’59 and M.Sc. ’65
2020 Murray Mills, BSA ’55
2020 Brian Little, ADA ’67, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’72, M.Sc. ’78
2021 Peter Sikkema

OAC alumni have served as Ministers of Agriculture at both the federal and provincial levels.

William R. Motherwell Class of 1881
Minister of Agriculture (Canada) 1921 — 1931

Fletcher S. Thomas Class of '22
Minister of Agriculture (Ontario) 1953 — 1956

William Newman Class of '51
Minister of Agriculture (Ontario) 1975 — 1979

John Wise Class of '56
Minister of Agriculture (Canada) 1979 — 1980 and 1984 — 1988

Philip Andrewes Class of '65
Minister of Agriculture (Ontario) 1985

Ross Stevenson Class of '65
Minister of Agriculture (Ontario) 1985

Jack Riddel Class of '65
Minister of Agriculture (Ontario) 1985 — 1990

Lyle VanClief Class of '66
Minister of Agriculture (Canada) 1997 — 2003

For more information contact:

Morag Stewart,
Director of Advancement (OAC),
519-824-4120, Ext. 56236
moragst@uoguelph.ca

About OAC

Established in 1874, the Ontario Agricultural College is one of seven colleges that make up the University of Guelph. OAC is a globally recognized leader in education and research in agriculture, food, environmental sciences, and community development. The OAC provides a wide range of academic programs at the diploma, undergraduate, graduate, and certificate levels.