George Brown College

George Brown (1818-1880) was a 19th century Scottish-born Canadian politician, newspaper publisher (he founded The Globe, precursor to The Globe and Mail) and was one of the Fathers of Confederation. An essential figure in the formation of Canada, Brown was a strong believer in public education. In 1967, Canada’s centennial year, Bill Davis, then the Ontario Minister of Education, suggested that George Brown College would be a suitable name for the new college of applied arts and technology, noting: “the city to which George Brown added such lustre as a reformer, journalist, and statesman should honour him in this way.” George Brown College opened its doors in 1968, welcoming just over 2,000 students. In addition to programs in construction, early childhood education, dental services and the culinary arts – subjects we continue to teach – we once offered programs that might not be quite as relevant today, like sign writing or watchmaking. Believe it or not, we even prepared students for careers at sea through a marine engineering program. Since then, our student population has grown to nearly 30,000. People come to George Brown from across the Greater Toronto Area, the country and the world to develop the skills and gain the real-world experience needed to succeed in the workplace. Since 2004, under current President Anne Sado’s leadership, George Brown has more than doubled in size, broadened our international partnerships and increased our commitment to strengthening the cultural, economic and social fabric of Toronto.