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Massey College opened its doors to students in 1963, and is the brainchild of Vincent Massey the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada. As Massey was leaving office, he envisioned a place of fellowship at the University of Toronto. Once the site on which Massey College sits was settled on as the best location, the Massey Foundation and the University of Toronto struck a deal. A call for designs went out and the winning submission was from architect Ron Thom. It should be noted that the 1st design that Thom submitted was rejected as being too “West Coast” for Toronto. However the layout and form of the building remained unchanged in the accepted revision which you can see here today. The building is a mix of mid-century modern with heavy influence from Frank Loyd Wright’s arts and crafts movement. Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act both for its exterior and custom-designed interior furniture, the College remains one of this city’s architectural gems.
The first Master of the College (A title which is now changed to Principal) was Playwright and author Robertson Davies who wrote his famous play 5th Business while living and working within these walls. From 1963 until 1970 Massey College only admitted men as Fellows. In 1988 Massey College welcomed its third principal and first woman into that role Ann Saddlemyer.
Today the college is home to 60 resident and 70 non-resident Junior fellows who are some of U of T top graduate students across all disciplines. The mission of the college is to nurture learning and serve the public good.
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