Academia and civil service In 1962, after completing her master's degree in Economics from
Yale University, Parr-Johnston moved to
Canada. She taught economics at the
University of Western Ontario,
Huron College, the
University of British Columbia and
Carleton University. Parr-Johnston would relocate to the
United States of America briefly in 1971 to teach at her father's
alma mater,
Wesleyan University before returning to Canada to join the federal
civil service in various capacities over the next 5 years. In 1974, Parr-Johnston completed her doctoral work and earned her
PhD in
Economics from Yale University.
Private sector Parr-Johnston accepted the position of Senior Policy Analyst and Director of Government Affairs at
Inco in 1976 where she remained for 3 years. She returned to the private sector in 1980, joining
Shell Canada where she held numerous senior positions over her 10-year tenure.
Employment & Immigration Canada In 1979, Parr-Johnston won a political appointment as the Chief of Staff to
Ron Atkey, the
Canadian Minister of Employment and Immigration during the short-lived
Conservative minority government. Among her many accomplishments at the Ministry, Parr-Johnston was involved in the secret extraction of six American Embassy workers who escaped to the safety of the Canadian Embassy in
Tehran during the
Iran hostage crisis.
Mount Saint Vincent University In 1991, Parr-Johnston was installed as the 8th President and Vice-Chancellor of
Mount Saint Vincent University in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. She served a full five-year term, leading Canada's only university dedicated primarily to the education of women. On June 16, 1995, coinciding with the
21st G7 summit taking place in
Halifax, Parr-Johnston awarded an honorary
Doctor of Letters to
First Lady of the United States,
Hillary Clinton, a fellow alumna of
Wellesley College. The mount has established an endowed scholarship in the name of Parr-Johnston.
University of New Brunswick Parr-Johnston was installed as the 16th President of the
University of New Brunswick in
Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1996. She completed one full six-year term in office before retiring to
Nova Scotia with her husband Archie. In 2004, Parr-Johnston returned to UNB and was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Letters for her contributions to the field of education. UNB named a student residence after Parr-Johnston.
Boards of directors and trustees •
Scotiabank • Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy • Millennium Scholarships • W.L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships • FutureGenerations Canada • Sustainable Development Technology Canada • Council of Canadian Academies • Empire Company Limited • Chester Golf Club • FPI Limited
Equalization On March 20, 2005, the
Canadian Minister of Finance announced the appointment of Parr-Johnston to the Independent Panel for Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing. The purpose of the panel was to examine the existing system of federal transfer payments to the provinces and to recommend necessary changes to the process. The final report was delivered to the Minister in May 2006 and was adopted in its entirety by the
Prime Minister of Canada.
Order of Canada On February 22, 2008, Parr-Johnston was installed by the
Governor General of Canada as a
Member of the
Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. Parr-Johnston was recognized for her lifetime contributions to the field of education. The Investiture Ceremony programme read as follows: For decades, Elizabeth Parr-Johnston has made important contributions to the educational and voluntary sectors in Canada. As president of two universities in Atlantic Canada, she was highly respected for creating increased opportunities for women, notably by mentoring female faculty and by making education more accessible to women. Her expertise and wise counsel have been sought by public, private and community boards including those of the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies and Symphony Nova Scotia. As head of her own consulting company, she continues to contribute to public policy development in Canada. ==Education==