Jim Parr

Jim Parr
FRSC, P.Eng., LLD (Hon)
Born
James Gordon Parr

(1927-05-26)May 26, 1927
Peterborough, England
DiedApril 5, 2000(2000-04-05) (aged 72)
EducationUniversity of Leeds (BSc)
University of Liverpool (PhD)
Occupationsmetallurgist, broadcaster, academic, civil servant
Director-General, Ontario Science Centre
In office
1985–1988
Chairman and CEO, TVOntario
In office
1979–1985
Deputy Minister, Colleges and Universities
Ontario
In office
1973–1979
Chairman, Committee on University Affairs
Ontario
In office
1972–1973
Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science
Professor of Engineering Science
University of Windsor
In office
1964–1972
Professor of Metallurgy
University of Alberta
In office
1955–1964

James Gordon Parr (May 26, 1927 – April 5, 2000) was an English-Canadian academic, broadcaster and provincial civil servant in the province of Ontario, Canada.[1]

Parr was an engineer by training specializing in metallurgy and he once hosted a programme on CBC Radio called The Mad Metallurgist aimed at popularizing the discipline. He also wrote several books on the subject, including The Engineer's Guide to Steel; Man, Metals and Modern Magic and An Introduction to Stainless Steel.[1]

Education and early career

Born and raised in Peterborough, England, Parr received his early education at Woodston junior primary school and Deacon's School, where his father was games master. He passed his School Certificate at the age of 13 and his Higher School Certificate at 16.[2]

In 1947, Parr graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc in metallurgy and spent three months in Canada working for Inco in Copper Cliff, Ontario, on a Nuffield Foundation Travel Scholarship. At the age of 21 he became a lecturer at the University of Liverpool, where he studied for his doctorate. In 1951, a Nuffield Post-Graduate Scholarship brought him back to Canada for four months to visit mines, refineries and university departments of metallurgy.[2][3][4]

After finishing his doctorate in Liverpool in 1953 he returned to Canada, this time permanently, to work for the British Columbia Research Council.[1][5]

Academic career

While working at the research council, Parr lectured at the University of British Columbia. Starting in 1955, he was associate professor and then full professor at the University of Alberta. He moved to Windsor, Ontario in 1964 to become professor of engineering science and dean of the faculty of applied science (later renamed the faculty of engineering) at the University of Windsor. He was also president of the university's Industrial Research Institute.[1][6][7]

By 1970 he had published around seventy technical papers and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, which noted "his outstanding research on titanium and zirconium alloys, martensite transformations and contributions to corrosion engineering."[8][9]

Civil service and later career

After serving as chairman of the Commission on Post-Secondary Education in Ontario (COPSEO) and as chairman of the Ontario Committee on University Affairs in 1972, Parr was appointed deputy minister of Colleges and Universities in 1973—a civil service position for the provincial government.[1][10]

In 1979, he was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of TVOntario during which time he unsuccessfully sought a license for the network from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national children's channel. Under his tenure at TVO, the on-air membership drive was initiated, the first co-production deal with Japan's NHK was negotiated, and the groundwork was laid for TVO's French-language network.[11][1][12]

In 1985, Parr was appointed director-general of the Ontario Science Centre for a three-year term, in the course of which the centre experienced renewed enthusiasm, increased attendance, and larger grants.[1][13]

Parr received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor in 1984.[14]

Other pursuits

In addition to photography and writing poetry, Parr composed selections for the piano and wrote operettas that were performed at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, where he served as president from 1982 to 1984.[15]

Two years before his untimely death, Parr produced a CD, "When Music Sounds", consisting solely of his own songs, sung by Canadian tenor James Leatch accompanied by pianist Dona Jean Clary.

Books

  • Man, Metals and Modern Magic. American Society for Metals. 1958.
  • The Engineer's Guide to Steel with Albert Hanson. Addison-Wesley. 1965.
  • An Introduction to Stainless Steel with Albert Hanson. American Society for Metals. 1965.
  • Any Other Business?: How to be a good committee person. Clarke, Irwin. 1977.
  • Is There Anybody There?: Verse. Quetico Press, Atikokan. 1979.
  • Stainless Steel with R.A.Lula. American Society for Metals. 1986.
  • Essays. Lugus. 1991.
  • Introduction to Stainless Steels with Jonathan Beddoes. ASM International. 1999.

Awards and Honours

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Downey, Donn (April 8, 2003). "Jim Parr: CBC Radio fans recall his show on metallurgy". The Globe and Mail. p. A29.
  2. ^ a b "Two gain BSc degrees at 20". The Peterborough Standard. July 4, 1947. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Mr. J.G. Parr, an old Deaconian". The Peterborough Standard. November 5, 1948. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Sailed for Canada". The Peterborough Standard. June 22, 1951. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Ph.D. Degree". The Peterborough Standard. April 3, 1953. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Dr. James G. Parr Appointed UW Dean". The Windsor Star. February 20, 1964. p. 5.
  7. ^ Miller, John (September 14, 1967). "He'll open doors to help local industry". The Windsor Star. p. 3.
  8. ^ "New honor for Dr. Parr as fellow". The Windsor Star. June 11, 1970. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Search Members, Dr. James Parr". Royal Society of Canada. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  10. ^ "C.U.A. Chairman appointed" (PDF). Campus News. St. Catharines Ontario: Brock University. January 4, 1973. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  11. ^ Martin, Robert (July 1, 1979). "Parr takes the hot seat at OECA". The Globe and Mail. p. 31.
  12. ^ "Press Council upholds complaint about column". The Toronto Star. March 11, 1992. p. B3.
  13. ^ "heritage significance study Ontario Science Centre, page 94" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  14. ^ "honorary degrees by convocation, page 7" (PDF). University of Windsor. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2026.
  15. ^ McBurney, Margaret (2007). The Great Adventure: 100 Years of The Arts& Letters Club. Toronto: The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-9694588-2-1.

General References

  • Simpson, Kieran, ed. (1993). Canadian Who's Who (XXVIII ed.). University of Toronto Press. p. 863.
  • American Men & Women of Science (21st ed.). Detroit: Thomson/Gale. 2003. p. 873.
  • Strong, Joanne (February 12, 1983). "The Informal James Gordon Parr". The Globe and Mail. p. 18.
  • "worldcat". worldcat.org.
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