1987 Saint John Spring Convocation
Irving, James Kenneth
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Orator: Cameron, Ian R.
Citation:
CONVOCATION, MAY, 1987
JAMES KENNETH IRVING
to be Doctor of Laws
The name of Irving is one that needs no introduction to the people of Saint John or of New Brunswick. The member of this family that we are honouring today, James Kenneth Irving, was educated in Saint John and graduated from the Rothesay Collegiate School, where he acquired something of a reputation as a rugby player. No doubt this strenuous and highly competitive activity was an appropriate training for the rough and tumble of business life at the corporate level.
After two years at Acadia University, he entered the business world, initially the forest sector of the Irving enterprise, which had been the original focus of the industry founded by his grandfather, J.D. Irving. In this role, he was involved in the whole complex business of forestry, from woods camps and river drives to the operation of pulp and paper mills. Even today, despite his many other activities, he still considers himself as first and foremost a lumberman.
As Irving Industries have grown, so have the responsibilities of Mr. Irving. Today, he is the President of the Irving Forest Products Companies and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saint John Shipbuilding Limited. He also serves as President or member of the board of numerous other companies. With characteristic modesty, he declines to claim any personal credit for the success of the Irving enterprise, attributing it to the close working relationship with his father, K.C. Irving, and his brothers. Despite this disclaimer, his outstanding abilities have been well illustrated by his success in negotiating the 3.5 billion dollar contract for the Canadian Patrol Frigate Program on behalf of Saint John Shipbuilding. The implications of this contract, the largest ever awarded for shipbuilding in Canada, for the economy of Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick are enormous. Apart from the employment created by the frigate work, it has brought an influx of highly trained technical personnel to the city and placed the shipyard at the leading edge of modern shipbuilding technology. Today, the competition in this field is so intense that only the most innovative and efficient firms can survive. The success of the Saint John shipyard, under Mr. Irving, speaks for itself.
This campus, and therefore the University of New Brunswick as a whole, is a beneficiary of this success. The program in Marine Engineering, which is being introduced here, will provide engineering students with the opportunity to specialize in this field. It is, in fact an excellent example of the type of co-operation between university and industry which this country must develop if it is to hold its own against its overseas competitors. A similar symbiotic relationship exists between our sister campus and the forestry industry for which James Irving is also responsible. It is therefore doubly appropriate that we today should be recognizing his contribution to the economic welfare of this city and this province.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 2
JAMES KENNETH IRVING
to be Doctor of Laws
The name of Irving is one that needs no introduction to the people of Saint John or of New Brunswick. The member of this family that we are honouring today, James Kenneth Irving, was educated in Saint John and graduated from the Rothesay Collegiate School, where he acquired something of a reputation as a rugby player. No doubt this strenuous and highly competitive activity was an appropriate training for the rough and tumble of business life at the corporate level.
After two years at Acadia University, he entered the business world, initially the forest sector of the Irving enterprise, which had been the original focus of the industry founded by his grandfather, J.D. Irving. In this role, he was involved in the whole complex business of forestry, from woods camps and river drives to the operation of pulp and paper mills. Even today, despite his many other activities, he still considers himself as first and foremost a lumberman.
As Irving Industries have grown, so have the responsibilities of Mr. Irving. Today, he is the President of the Irving Forest Products Companies and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saint John Shipbuilding Limited. He also serves as President or member of the board of numerous other companies. With characteristic modesty, he declines to claim any personal credit for the success of the Irving enterprise, attributing it to the close working relationship with his father, K.C. Irving, and his brothers. Despite this disclaimer, his outstanding abilities have been well illustrated by his success in negotiating the 3.5 billion dollar contract for the Canadian Patrol Frigate Program on behalf of Saint John Shipbuilding. The implications of this contract, the largest ever awarded for shipbuilding in Canada, for the economy of Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick are enormous. Apart from the employment created by the frigate work, it has brought an influx of highly trained technical personnel to the city and placed the shipyard at the leading edge of modern shipbuilding technology. Today, the competition in this field is so intense that only the most innovative and efficient firms can survive. The success of the Saint John shipyard, under Mr. Irving, speaks for itself.
This campus, and therefore the University of New Brunswick as a whole, is a beneficiary of this success. The program in Marine Engineering, which is being introduced here, will provide engineering students with the opportunity to specialize in this field. It is, in fact an excellent example of the type of co-operation between university and industry which this country must develop if it is to hold its own against its overseas competitors. A similar symbiotic relationship exists between our sister campus and the forestry industry for which James Irving is also responsible. It is therefore doubly appropriate that we today should be recognizing his contribution to the economic welfare of this city and this province.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 2
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