The Queen’s community came together last week to show gratitude for Chancellor Emeritus Jim Leech, MBA’73, a leader and champion for helping students make a difference in the world.
After helping more than 40,000 graduates during convocation ceremonies, providing leadership to many boards, and helping support important philanthropic initiatives, it was time for the Queen’s community to say thank you to Leech for seven years of service.
On June 24, friends and colleagues attended a celebration at Grant Hall to praise for his dedication to Queen’s students and tireless efforts that helped improve life at Queen’s.
Campus leaders – such as Principal Patrick Deane, Principal Emeritus Daniel Woolf, Artsci’80, Queen’s Board of Trustees chair Don Raymond, Sc’84, PhD’98, former trustee chair Barb Palk, Arts’73 – spoke during the event.
Former Queen’s rector and the event’s emcee, Cam Yung, Artsci'18, said his conversations with the chancellor were often focused on helping students.
“Jim would always go out of his way to ask ‘How are Queen’s students doing? What can I do to help students succeed during their time at Queen’s?’” Yung recalled. “This was typical of Jim’s chancellorship, putting students and the Queen’s family first. His accomplishments were important … but it was his dedication to the students that meant the most to him.”
Principal Deane praised Leech for devotion to the university and the enthusiasm he brought to the role of chancellor.
“Jim will be remembered for his incredible dedication to the students of this university, his commitment to improving their university experiences and education, and his unwavering support of Queen’s as an exceptional institution of higher education,” Deane said.
Leech took the Grant Hall stage to express his gratitude to the many people who helped him behind the scenes and everyone who played a role in his success at the university.
Queen’s had a big impact on the chancellor emeritus’s life. After his military career, he credited getting his MBA from Queen’s with helping him successfully transition to civilian life and launching his business career, which included becoming the CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, the world's top performing plan during his tenure.
Leech fondly reflected on his time at Queen’s by telling a story about how his father, who was a senior military leader who had just retired from the Canadian Forces, chose to work as the Queen’s registrar because he wanted to enjoy the youthful enthusiasm of campus life.
“’I will be surrounded by the energy of young people which will keep me young’ my father told me,” Leech recalled. “Somehow on this day 45 years later, those words resonate. And, given that last week I turned 75, I guess he was right.”
During the ceremony, Leech participated in unveiling his official portrait with Stratford-based artist Leslie Watts. It will be displayed in the Peter Lougheed Room in Richardson Hall.
Leech’s lengthy history of service began in the 1980s, when he served as a member of the Queen's Board of Trustees, University Council, and Chair of Smith School of Business Advisory Board. In honour of his chancellorship, Queen’s launched a fundraising campaign on behalf of Leech that raised $1.75 million in support the revitalized John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC). The ceilidh, the large open gathering space at the heart of the JDUC, will be renamed the Jim Leech Ceilidh Centre in his honour.
