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Alumnus John Bennett to Receive Honorary Degree

Nov 7, 2025 by jessica

Alumni News

W. John Bennett (SMC 6T7), who has long given generously of his time and talents to the University of St. Michael’s College, will be awarded a Doctor of the University of St. Michael’s College degree, honoris causa, at the inaugural Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology (RSM) convocation on Saturday, November 8^th at 2 pm in St. Basil’s Church.

A merchant banker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Bennett is the CEO and Principal of BenvestHoldings/Bennett Church Hill Capital Inc. With more than four decades of successful merchant banking and entrepreneurial experience, he has served on the boards of numerous private and public enterprises and is an active philanthropist with a historical and educational focus.

“John Bennett is an invaluable champion of St. Michael’s, carrying forward his father William Bennett’s dedication to support his much-loved alma mater,” says University President David Sylvester. “It is particularly fitting that John should receive this honorary degree at the inaugural RSM convocation ceremony, given how instrumental he and his generosity have been to the success of the federation.”

Bennett was a member of Collegium, St. Michael’s principal governing body, from 2014-2022, serving as chair from 2015-2017. He was an active advisor in the talks leading to the federation of St. Michael’s with Regis College, serving on the federation steering committee, its governance subcommittee, and chairing its finance subcommittee. Chair of St. Michael’s most recent Presidential Search Committee, he is also a trustee of the St. Michael’s Foundation, which promotes and encourages education at St. Michael’s College. He is the current chair of the board of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS).

He recently created the W. J. Bennett Family Chair of Christianity and the Arts, which builds on family connections to the St. Michael’s community that date back decades.

He holds an Hons BA and an LLB from the University of Toronto and in 2019 was awarded U of T’s prestigious Arbor Award for volunteer service. In 2012 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and he received an honorary degree from PIMS in 2023.

A resident of Montreal, Bennett is married to Diana Collins Bennett (SMC 6T8). They have three children: Carl, Patrick, and Diana. Bennett has extensive family connections to St. Michael’s, with his father, William (Bill) graduating in 1934, as well as numerous siblings and extended family members part of the St. Mike’s alumni community. William Bennett, John’s father, received an honorary doctorate from St. Michael’s in 1986.

Since 1969, the University of St. Michael’s College has awarded honorary degrees as its highest honour, using its statutory authority as an independent university to bestow doctorates on individuals whose achievements embody or advance St. Michael’s mission, vision, and values as a Catholic institution of higher learning. Honorary Degrees are awarded to individuals who have achieved world-class excellence and exceptionality over their careers.

Formal recommendations of honorary degree candidates are made by the USMC Senate’s Committee on Honorary Degrees and approved by the Senate. Honorary degrees are typically conferred at the University of St. Michael’s College Convocation in the fall.

*^{Highlights from the Legacy Wall Induction Ceremony on September 29, 2025}*

This fall, the University of St. Michael’s College will add two remarkable individuals to its Legacy Wall whose talents have enriched both the University and the world. St. Mike’s alumna Sister Evanne Hunter, IBVM, is recognized for the ways in which her vocation as a Loretto Sister animated her devotion to the power of education and advocacy for social justice at home and abroad. Professor Mark McGowan, a distinguished scholar and long-serving administrator, is recognized for his visionary leadership and scholarly excellence, which have brought national and international distinction to the University.

Both inductees will attend a private ceremony and luncheon held in their honour as part of the University’s Michaelmas festivities on September 29. The ceremony will include a tour of the Legacy Wall, followed by an unveiling of the wall’s newest additions by St. Michael’s President David Sylvester. The photos, displayed with a brief citation, will eventually be added to the wall. At the ceremony, Prof. McGowan’s citation will be read by President Sylvester and Sister Evanne’s citation will be read by St. Mike’s Bursar Effie Slapnicar.

Sister Evanne’s citation pays tribute to her contributions to education and social justice, reading, “For over half a century she has woven the values of St. Michael’s and Mary Ward into a vocation at the service of education, justice, and the Gospel in Canada and across the planet.”

After joining the Loretto Sisters in 1958 and graduating from St. Michael’s in 1963, Sister Evanne began her career in teaching at Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School and then moved into administrative roles. She also served in leadership positions for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary including Provincial Superior for the Canadian Province from 2007-2013. In this role, she acted as a liaison between the IBVM General Council and a twinned community of Salvadoran refugees. This experience ignited her advocacy for global peace and justice work at the international level. She established the IBVM NGO at the United Nations giving the IBVM network a presence at the UN.

Prof. McGowan began teaching history at St. Michael’s and was cross-appointed to the University of Toronto’s Department of History. He served twice as Principal and Vice-President of St. Michael’s College: first from 2002-2011, and again in an interim capacity from 2020-2022. His gift for research has been summed up by his Legacy Wall citation, which reads, “Dr. McGowan has published widely on the history of Toronto, Canadian Catholicism, the Great Irish Famine, and the Irish in Canada. His scholarly work has never been divorced from his love of teaching, winning numerous teaching awards and inviting undergraduate students into the riches of historical research with primary texts.”

His research has moved beyond the classroom to have practical achievements for the university, including fostering relationships with the Irish diaspora in Toronto and in Canada and advocating for Truth and Reconciliation. He has received numerous awards including being inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2024.

It was Dr. McGowan who introduced the Legacy Wall in 2009 when he was Principal and since then 23 members have been inducted.

“I am deeply honoured by this induction and certainly never expected to see it happen, since the original criteria stipulated that the inductees were to be deceased. Joyfully, I can say I want to be able to share this moment with members of my St. Michael’s family, without whose support I would not be here today,” says Prof. McGowan.

The wall’s purpose is twofold: to honour the efforts and achievements of key community members and to inspire students to greater heights. Those honoured include professors, politicians, and members of the arts community. Today, the wall is located in Brennan Hall, between the Registrar’s Office and the COOP, inspiring students every day.