The Saint Mary’s University community honours the memory of and recalls with fondness former university president Kenneth (Ken) Ozmon OC, who passed away 23 February 2022. Born in 1931, he taught at various U.S. and Canadian universities before coming to Saint Mary’s. Kenneth Ozmon became president in 1979, serving for 21 years until 2000 and leading the university through a period of great change and progress. Dr. Ozmon was president during a time of considerable growth in enrolment and several capital campaigns; he was proud to break ground on the Sobey Building with Dr. David Sobey and then Premier John Savage in 1996 and celebrate the building opening in 1998. He is also known for his strong interest in assisting youth with disabilities and in creating more inclusive models for university participation. His advocacy made a lasting impact on Saint Mary’s University and other universities in the region, and this was recognized with him being made an Officer in the Order of Canada in 1998 for his “outstanding contribution to education.”
“Ken Ozmon’s leadership contributed directly to the growing stature of Saint Mary’s University throughout the 1980s and 90s. The international outreach that took shape under his presidency and his strong belief, which he translated to the institution, in the right for everyone to have unobstructed access to post-secondary education were key drivers of the university’s vision and mission,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Summerby-Murray. “His firm stamp is evident in the Saint Mary’s we know today.” Ken remained connected to the institution and was a familiar and faithful presence at varsity games cheering on the SMU Huskies. He made a special trip to campus in October 2021 when he toured The Dauphinee Centre and the site of the new Sobeys Inspiration Hub. Ken was delighted to see the progress underway and expressed his ongoing great pride in the institution he served for so long.
The university is flying flags at half-mast in recognition of his legacy and in sympathy with his family at his passing.