John Robert Evans

Who is John Robert Evans?

John Robert Evans, CC OOnt is a Canadian pediatrician, academic, businessperson, and civic leader.

After graduating from the University of Toronto Schools, he received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1952 and was a Rhodes Scholar. He received his Doctoral degree specializing in internal medicine and cardiology at Oxford University in 1955.

He was the founding dean of the Faculty of Medicine and then vice-president of Health Services at McMaster University from 1965 to 1972. From 1972 to 1978 he was President of the University of Toronto. From 1979 to 1983, he served as founding Director of the Population, Health and Nutrition Department of the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

In a 1978 by-election, Evans ran for a seat in the House of Commons as a Liberal in the Toronto riding of Rosedale, but was defeated by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie.

Evans was a key player in the sale of the Canadian Connaught Laboratories to the French Sanofi-Aventis.

He was the first Canadian to be elected chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation from 1987 to 1995.