Claude Bissell

Claude Thomas Bissell was a Canadian educator and author who guided one of Canada's major academic institutions through an era of massive growth. Born in Meaford, Ontario, in 1916, he was the youngest of nine children. Bissell is best known as the eighth president of the University of Toronto, an office he held from 1958 to 1971. Under his leadership, the university tripled in size. His work is remembered on campus through the Claude T. Bissell Building, which houses the Faculty of Information.

Bissell's worldview was shaped by his academic training and his service in World War II. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1936, followed by a Master of Arts in English literature in 1937. He then completed a PhD in English Literature at Cornell University, where his graduate research won the Luana L. Messenger Prize in 1940. When war broke out, his education led him to serve as an officer in the Canadian Army. He attained the rank of captain in the intelligence section of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, a group he later described as a happy regiment and a formidable one in action.

A Career of Leadership and Letters

Following his wartime service, Bissell returned to academia. He became an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in 1952, and from 1956 to 1958, he served as the president of Carleton College, which is now Carleton University. He returned to the University of Toronto as president in 1958, and also served as the chair of the Canada Council from 1960 to 1962. Throughout his life, Bissell was a dedicated writer. His published books include University College: A Portrait, Halfway Up Parnassus: A Personal Account of the University of Toronto 1932-71, two biographical works on Vincent Massey, and Ernest Buckler Remembered. His contributions earned him election as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1957, a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1969, and an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Leeds in 1976.

Words of High Expectations

Bissell passed away in 2000, survived by his wife, Christine, and their daughter, Deirdre MacDonald. His perspective on leadership, education, and community is reflected in his sharp observations and inspiring advice. He once dryly remarked that the social sciences are good at accounting for disasters once they have taken place. For those seeking motivation, however, his words continue to offer a standard of excellence and ambition: "Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible."