St. Michael’s Remembers French Professor Paulette Collet
The University of St. Michael’s College community mourns the passing of Professor Paulette Collet, emerita professor of French at the University of Toronto and a beloved member of the University of St. Michael’s College community.
Born in Verviers, Belgium, Professor Collet’s life was marked by courage, scholarship, and an enduring devotion to French language and theatre. After fleeing Nazi-occupied Belgium as a child and completing her education in London at King’s College London, she went on to serve as an education officer in Mauritius before earning her Ph.D. at Université Laval. Following teaching appointments in the United States, she made her academic home at St. Michael’s College, where she inspired generations of students with her dynamism, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence in French studies.
In 1969, encouraged by colleagues in the French Department, Professor Collet single-handedly founded La Troupe des Anciens de l’Université de Toronto, a Molière-inspired theatre company dedicated to bringing French theatre to life and helping students truly inhabit the language they were learning. What began as le Cercle français at St. Mike’s grew into a vibrant intercollegiate troupe that, for more than 50 years, captivated audiences, championed francophone plays, and created a space where students and alumni could experience French not only as a subject of study, but as a living art.
A gifted singer and actor herself, Professor Collet believed deeply that learning mattered as much as performance. She was particularly passionate about pronunciation—often reminding students, with a mixture of wit and resolve, that enunciation was essential to honouring the beauty of the French language. Her rehearsals were rigorous, her standards high, but her love of teaching unmistakable. Through theatre, she fostered confidence, discipline, and joy in her students, profoundly shaping the culture of the French Department at St. Michael’s and the wider University.
In recent years, La Troupe des Anciens entrusted its rich archival collection—posters, programs, photographs, recordings, and a commemorative volume marking 50 years of French theatre in Toronto—to the St. Michael’s College Archives and the John M. Kelly Library, ensuring that Professor Collet’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
“Her enthusiasm, humour, and rigorous intellect challenged and touched generations of students. In the classroom, in the rehearsal space, and on campus more broadly, she fostered a passionate appreciation of the complex, wondrous ability of literature and drama to engage with the breadth and diversity of human experience — and of the experience of theatre-making itself as a means to touch, inspire, and connect,” says St. Michael’s Principal and Vice President Irene Morra who as an undergraduate student was taught by Professor Collet in an upper-level course on French Canadian literature.
Dr. Michael Salvatori, a St. Mike’s alumnus and now Director of Continuing Education, recalls taking undergraduate courses with Professor Collet and being transformed by her teaching. He remembers her classes as electric and immersive—where language leapt off the page and students were invited to participate fully and fearlessly. Her courses were never static; they were performances in their own right, animated by her intellect, humour, and deep care for her students’ growth.
Professor Paulette Collet’s impact on the University of Toronto is immeasurable. Through her scholarship, her artistry, and her steadfast dedication to her students, she strengthened the study of French and built a community bound by language, theatre, and shared passion. Her voice, her vision, and her belief in the power of education will resonate for generations to come.
Professor Collet was actively engaged as the director of the upcoming production of l’Avare which will be presented on April 16 and 17 at the Isabel Bader Theatre.
