Myer Horowitz: Lifelong dedication to education

Dr. Myer Horowitz was a distinguished and much-loved teacher, academic and leader who always sought, in his own words, to “try to understand other people — what motivates them, what concerns them — to be as good a listener as possible and to be supportive.” 
Horowitz’s contributions to Canadian K–12 and postsecondary education and pedagogy are varied and profound. His mark is indelible.  

Born in Depression-era Montreal in 1932, Horowitz attended McGill University’s School for Teachers. He later earned a BA from Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University), an MEd from the University of Alberta (U of A), and a PhD from Stanford University before being named a full professor at McGill in 1965. In 1969, he was appointed chair of the U of A’s Department of Elementary Education. Over the next two decades, the U of A benefitted from Horowitz’s profound commitment to education, students and the university community — he served as dean of education, vice-­president (academic) and, finally, as president, ending his tenure in 1989.  

While he spent much of his career in postsecondary education, during his early years in Montreal classrooms, Horowitz emerged as a fierce advocate for early childhood education. His advocacy and work in early childhood education became the hallmark of his professional life and, importantly, continued to be his focus even into retirement. In 1989, upon vacating the post of U of A ­president, Horowitz fought against the Alberta government’s ­cutbacks to kindergarten education.  

Horowitz received many accolades. A grateful nation bestowed the Order of Canada in 1990. Six honorary doctorates celebrated Horowitz’s scholarship. In 2012, Horowitz was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. The University of Victoria established a ­scholarship in his name, and the U of A’s Myer Horowitz Theatre honours his service to that institution.  

His contributions were also ­recognized by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, the Canadian College of Teachers and the Alberta Teachers’ Association, which conveyed its highest honour of honorary membership in 1980.  

A teacher first, Horowitz was proud of the accomplishments of his students, from kindergarten to postsecondary, and felt an obligation to create for them a brighter future. He said in 2012, “I have felt that it is also important that, beyond our work in our classrooms and schools, we be advocates for positive change.” 

In his words and actions, Horowitz exemplified a lifelong dedication to the transformative power of education.