Davison, Fred C.

ENCAENIA, MAY, 1985
FREDERICK CORBET DAVISON
to be Doctor of Laws

In honouring Doctors Deslongchamps and Konecny, two outstanding Departments in the University have also been honoured: one in pure science and one in applied science; one old and established and one new and growing. So too, in honouring President Davison we seek to honour our sister university - the University of Georgia - twin sisters if you will, for both were born in 1785, with the University of Georgia the older by some few months.

Two hundred years ago like minded men founded our two universities. Here in New Brunswick a group of Loyalists - men who had backed the wrong horse in the American Revolution - War of Independence as some prefer to call it - petitioned the Governor of our newly-created Province to establish a Provincial Academy of Arts and Sciences. At the same time the Georgia Legislature was setting aside forty thousand acres to endow a "college or seminary of learning”. On opposite sides of a bitter war, these founding fathers yet shared a passionate belief in the importance of learning and in the education of the people of a state or province if these institutions were to grow and flourish as commonwealths and democracies. In celebrating the birthday of our two universities, we pay respect and homage to the vision and the faith of those men of the eighteenth century.

When we turn from the past to the present and the future, from the old to the new, we find much which would have astonished the members of the Georgia Legislature, but much more which would have gratified them. They would have been astonished to learn that today's President of the University of Georgia holds a private pilot's license and flies himself about the state and nation on academic business; but they would have been highly gratified that this President has led his alma mater from strength to strength in pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and public service programs. Since President Davison assumed office in 1967, the University's budget has more than tripled from $97 million to over $300 million, and student enrollment has grown by sixty percent from 16,000 to 25,000. These figures are impressive - and I suspect the founders would find them well nigh incredible - but of course they do not tell the whole story. I could pile up statistics measuring growth and quality but time is limited and it must suffice for me to say that today the University of Georgia is a "great" university in every sense of that word.

Our own President has recently been honoured, as the President of this University, by being made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Georgia and, in his own right, has been awarded the Silver Bicentennial Medallion for "distinguished scholarly and professional achievement." Had we such treasures in our gift we should honour this man with such awards. He is a veterinary surgeon, a pathologist, a bio-chemist, and a brilliant academic administrator. Through dedication and determination, and through skill and vision, he has helped to create the social, political, economic, and cultural climate in which a great university can flourish as both the mentor and the servant of the people of Georgia.

We offer you in your capacity as a representative of your university and of your state, and in recognition of your own scholarly and academic achievements, the highest academic award of this University. We hope and trust that you will accept this doctorate and remember the esteem and good will of the University of New Brunswick and of the people of this Province.

Insignissime Praeses, tota Universitas, praesento vobis Fredericum Corbet Davison ut admittatur honoris causa ad gradum Doctoris in Utroque Jure in hac Universitate.

From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 2