Chancellor Emeritus to receive McMaster’s highest honour for volunteer service

Former Chancellor and McMaster alumnus John Panabaker will be given the
Distinguished Service Award by the McMaster Alumni Association (MAA) this weekend at
the association's annual awards and Alumni Gallery Induction ceremony.

The award is McMaster's most prestigious for volunteer service.

Panabaker's academic and community involvement at McMaster has been extensive.
After earning his BA Hons ('50) and MA ('54) in political economy at the University,
Panabaker went on to earn an Honorary Doctor of Laws from McMaster in 1981.
Throughout his career he served as Chair of the Board of Governors (1978-80) and
Chair of the Administrative Board at the McMaster Museum of Art (1994-97).

“I can think of no McMaster graduate whose contributions to the University spanning
fifty years come close to those of John Panabaker,” said Arthur Bourns, former President
of McMaster. “It was my very good fortune to have his support and guidance during my
time as President.”

In addition to his ongoing contributions to the University, Panabaker assumed a great
deal of responsibility as president of the Freemont Hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Recognizing the importance of higher education, he advocated for collaborative
relations between businesses and universities, as well as continued support for
post-secondary institutions, throughout his life.

In 1990, Panabaker received the Order of Canada in recognition of “a lifetime of
outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.”

He will be honoured at the ceremony scheduled to take place June 2 in Convocation
Hall.