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The University of Ottawa names a building after Marcel Hamelin
OTTAWA,
September 29, 2015 —
At a special ceremony today, the University of Ottawa officially named one of its buildings in honour of former uOttawa president Marcel Hamelin. In recognition of his exceptional commitment and unparalleled contributions to uOttawa, the University has renamed its Arts Building as Hamelin Hall.
“It is my privilege to be naming this hall in honour of former University of Ottawa president Marcel Hamelin. In addition to his passionate defence of linguistic duality, he worked tirelessly to promote exchanges between international universities, attract brilliant students and researchers from every continent, and transform the University of Ottawa into one of the world’s top post-secondary institutions,” said current University of Ottawa President and Vice-Chancellor, Allan Rock.
The naming of Hamelin Hall pays tribute to its namesakes’ five decades of exceptional, dedicated service to the University. Marcel Hamelin joined the Faculty of Arts as a history professor in 1966. He went on to become Director of the Department of History, Vice-Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, and then Dean of the Faculty of Arts, before being named President and Vice-Chancellor. During his lengthy career, he always proudly championed the bilingual nature of the University of Ottawa.
“No other university in the country can claim to be as truly Canadian as ours, one that so faithfully reflects the linguistic, cultural and religious diversity of our country,” said Marcel Hamelin. His noteworthy achievements as president include the development of a strategic plan and campus development plan, and the inauguration of the Arts Building in 1996. He was also the force behind the launch of multidisciplinary programs and institutes, a $200M construction program and several successful fundraising campaigns.
Naming the Arts Building in his honour is an eloquent way of remembering his extraordinary contributions, a recognition that the University believes will inspire future generations of students, alumni and University community members.
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Media inquiries:
Mila Roy
Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa
Office : 613-562-5800 (2529)
Cell : 613-762-2908
mila.roy@uOttawa.ca
