History

Egerton Ryerson and Indian Residential Schools

Ryerson University is named for Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882), a prominent figure in 19th-century Canada who played an influential role in the fields of politics, religion, arts, sciences and perhaps most significantly, education. Egerton Ryerson was instrumental in the establishment of a free and compulsory public education system in Ontario. This was the foundation of the province’s modern school system and served to revolutionize education in Canada.

Because of Egerton Ryerson’s achievements, particularly in establishing the public education system we know today, the institution that would eventually become Ryerson University was named for him at its founding in 1948.

Ryerson University is proud of its history and of the contribution its namesake, Egerton Ryerson, made to Ontario’s public education system. However, while Egerton Ryerson supported free and compulsory education, he also believed in different systems of education for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. These beliefs influenced, in part, the establishment of what became the Indian Residential School system that has had such a devastating impact on First Nations, Métis and Inuit people across Canada. While Egerton Ryerson did not implement or oversee Indian Residential Schools, his ideas were used by others to create their blueprint. It is important to acknowledge this connection and in so doing emphasize the university’s ongoing and proactive commitment to respectful relationships with Aboriginal communities, both within and outside Ryerson University, and to continuing to build and maintain a campus environment that welcomes and respects Aboriginal people.

October 2010