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Simon Fraser University will officially name its new arts and social sciences complex Saywell Hall tomorrow (June 16) in honour of SFU president emeritus William Saywell and his wife Jane during a gala ceremony in the complex’s atrium, 10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Saywell, SFU’s fifth and longest-serving president, served two highly successful five-year terms from 1983-93, overseeing a 40-per-cent expansion in the university’s size. With his wife by his side, he instilled a sense of pride and great loyalty both within and without the university.

Under his leadership SFU established itself as one the leading universities in the country, achieving the top ranking for comprehensive universities in Canada for the first time in the last year of his tenure. Regular placements as the top ranked comprehensive university would follow, including this year.

Saywell oversaw a major expansion in research support, the introduction of a hiring initiative that improved gender balance and the adoption of a co-op education program, an area in which the university is now a national leader. He also guided the creation of SFU’s downtown Vancouver campus in 1989, led SFU’s first major fundraising campaign, which raised $60 million, and brought an international perspective to SFU.

Raised in Lake Cowichan, Saywell completed his doctorate at the University of Toronto, majoring in 20th Century Chinese affairs.

He has lived and travelled throughout East Asia, including a one-year posting as First Secretary of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. He has written and lectured extensively on such topics as Chinese history and current Chinese political, economic, foreign and military affairs.

Upon his return to the U of T, he held a number of senior administrative posts before coming to SFU.

SFU gave Saywell an honorary degree for his contributions in 1997. He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1994 for promoting B.C. on an educational level and on an international scale, and the Order of Canada in 2000 for the academic, cultural and economic bridges he has built between Canada and Asia.

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