BACK IN THE DAY

Seneca50 book project marks our first half century

A FEW MONTHS BEFORE Seneca’s 40th anniversary celebrations were to begin, I had the opportunity to dine with Dr. William T. Newnham. I was tasked with writing a feature on Seneca’s founding president that would end up running in a special edition of the alumni magazine. We met at his favourite restaurant in Unionville and over a three-hour lunch, Seneca’s very first employee shared the origin story with me, which has become part of Seneca’s lore. As we all know, Dr. Newnham took the “empty box” presented to him by Dr. Frederick W. Minkler, Seneca’s first Chair, and helped create what would become one of the largest and most comprehensive colleges in Canada.

This past year, while working on Seneca’s latest anniversary project, Seneca50, a commemorative coffee table book that takes readers back in time to highlight many of the institution’s milestone moments, I couldn’t help but think of my conversation with Dr. Newnham (pictured above, with Seneca’s first-ever student, Raymond “Whitey” Hamill).

“We were always the largest college in Canada from Day 1, but size in itself is not the cause for pride,” he said. “Each day I worked hard and Seneca faculty and staff worked hard to give our diplomas meanings. So when our students graduated they could be proud of their Seneca diploma and it would open doors for them. And it did.”

Until working on Seneca50, I didn’t truly appreciate the tall order that was placed in front of Dr. Newnham and all of the early employees to make Seneca a success. It is really hard to imagine that half a century ago colleges did not exist in Ontario. Before educational institutions like Seneca arrived on the scene, there were only two routes for high school students to take: university or trade school. The government at the time, led by the Hon. William G. Davis, then Minister of Education, took a huge risk that Ontario would support a new postsecondary alternative. It’s a gamble that paid off thanks to leaders like Dr. Newnham and the incredible employees, past and present, who have worked to give our students the best experience, both inside and outside the classroom, and who continue to give meaning to the Seneca credential.

-Tom Bartsiokas, Seneca Professor and author, Seneca50