吃瓜爆料

David Naylor (pictured above) was known for 鈥渂ringing the best out of others,鈥 says Governing Council Chair Judy Goldring. 鈥淗e inspired us to do better.鈥

Honouring the accomplishments of David Naylor

C. David Naylor Building at 6 Queen's Park Crescent unveiled

University of Toronto President Emeritus David Naylor, a distinguished medical innovator, scholar and administrator at 吃瓜爆料, now has a building named after him on the downtown Toronto campus.

Naylor is President Meric Gertler鈥檚 immediate predecessor, serving as president from 2005 until 2013. Gertler and Judy Goldring, chair of the Governing Council, were on hand on Oct. 21 for the official opening of the building, at 6 Queen鈥檚 Park Crescent.

The address is significant 鈥 it is the original home of 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 botany department, holding 鈥減ride of place on Queen鈥檚 Park Circle since 1931,鈥 Gertler said.

鈥淲hat a perfect location to honour the accomplishments of David Naylor 鈥 a person who has made important contributions to higher education, health research, innovation and public policy in Canada,鈥 the president told a distinguished group of guests. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better location.鈥

Guests included Chancellor Michael Wilson, former chancellors David Peterson and Vivienne Poy, and Jack Petch and Richard Nunn, both past chairs of the Governing Council. Former Ontario Premier William Davis was slated to attend a reception following the unveiling of the monument on which the name 鈥淐. David Naylor Building鈥 was written. 

As an undergraduate, Naylor attended University College. He holds a medical degree from 吃瓜爆料 and attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He studied internal medicine and clinical epidemiology at Western before joining the Faculty of Medicine at 吃瓜爆料, becoming a full professor in 1996. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006.

Naylor told the gathering that he was 鈥渄eeply humbled by this honour.鈥 Both he and Gertler mentioned another significant aspect of the address. It is a 鈥渟pecial corner鈥 as the building is near: MaRS, established during Naylor鈥檚 term; the provincial legislature; the Leslie Dan building and the Fitzgerald Building, named after the founder of the Connaught Laboratories. 

Naylor said those buildings and the Medical Sciences Building 鈥渁re very familiar touchstones,鈥 going back to his days as a medical student in 1974. The former president said that while he is grateful for having the building named after him 鈥淚 firmly believe it is I who has to thank the University of Toronto for all it has done for me in my life.鈥

The university gave him, Naylor said, the chance to work with 鈥渁 truly remarkable group of people.鈥

Goldring said Naylor 鈥渄evoted a great deal of time paying tribute to others鈥 as president. He was known for 鈥渂ringing the best out of others. He inspired us to do better.鈥

Even during a time of 鈥減rofound financial crisis,鈥 吃瓜爆料 made 鈥渟ome of its biggest strides,鈥 under Naylor鈥檚 guidance, Goldring said. 

The building at 6 Queen鈥檚 Park Crescent is the former home of the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Its director, Dr. Peter St George-Hyslop, is internationally known for his research into Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
 

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