Rocke Robertson: Surgeon and Shepherd of Change

by Richard W. Pound

Rocke Robertson (1912 - 1998) was a McGill-trained surgeon who served at the front lines in the Sicilian and Italian campaigns in World War II. His post-war experience took him to the top of the medical profession and appointments as chief of the Department of Surgery at McGill and surgeon-in-chief at the Montreal General Hospital. In 1962 Robertson was named principal of McGill University, a position he held for eight years during one of the most unsettling periods in the university's history. Apart from the usual demanding job of running the university, Robertson was forced to deal with political upheaval, student unrest and revolt, and defending the rights of the English-speaking minority in Quebec. While all around him university leaders cracked under the pressures, Robertson persisted until workable governance solutions were put in place at McGill.Rocke Surgeon and Shepherd of Change is a compelling portrait of a remarkable man who handled the greatest challenge of his career - running a primarily English-speaking university in Quebec during the Quiet Revolution - with courage, wisdom, and success.

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008