Obiter Dicta Issue 3 - September 28, 2015 | Page 20

OPINION

20  Obiter Dicta

Deans
» continued from page 9
6. Patrick Monahan
Nickname: Hardhat Pat
Term: 2003–2009
“Look to your left, look to your right, don’t mind the
construction.”

Nickname: The Fiscal Maven
Term: 1993–1998
“Look to your left, look to your right, if you find any
change please bring it up to the front”

Monahan oversaw a seemingly never-ending series
of renovations at Osgoode. While annoying the student body at the time, the renovations have paid off
and transformed the drab and dreary building into
one with windows and natural lighting. While a
huge accomplishment, Dean Monahan loses points
for also overseeing the doubling of tuition form
$8,000 to $16,000 over his tenure. He currently acts
as the Deputy Attorney General for Ontario.
5. John McCamus
Nickname: Johnny Mac
Term: 1982–1987
“Look to your left, look to your right, one of those
individuals is likely a woman.”
Dean McCamus, the king of contracts and restitution, was dean during a time of great social and
legal change. Dean of the law school in the Charterera, for the first time, the entering class was over
50% female and computers were introduced into
the school. But his ranking is truly reflective of
McCamus’ permanency: since 1971 the former dean
has taught nearly 45 years of students at Os goode.
During his decades of teaching, McCamus also found
the time to contribute to many legal reform initiatives and currently is Chair of Legal Aid Ontario.
4. Marilyn Pilkington

Dean Pilkington has the distinction of being the
first female dean of a law school in Ontario. A wellliked professor of constitutional law and evidence,
the Aboriginal Law Intensive, the Osgoode Business
Clinic, and the Innocence Project would start during
her tenure. This is all the more remarkable given
that the school was facing massive funding cuts
that were hardly noticed given Pilkington’s financial savvy. Her big contribution is the creation of the
Osgoode Professional Development Program, which
continues to be a huge money-maker for the school.
She would remain with the faculty until retiring in
2013.
3. Gerald Le Dain
Nickname: The Unlikely Hero
Term: 1966–1972
“Look to your left, look to your right, this is York
University.”
The choice of Le Dain as dean was an inspired choice
given he had to unite a divided faculty and student
body still unsure how to feel about the move from
downtown to York University. Important Osgoode
institutions such as CLASP and Parkdale would open
under his tenure. While dean, he was tasked with
leading the Commission on the Non-Medical Use
of Drugs, which would ultimately recommend the
decriminalization of marijuana possession, causing

Le Dain to become a popular figure on University
campuses across Canada. Of course, Le Dain probably rose the highest of any dean in Osgoode history,
as he would later be appointed to the Supreme Court
of Canada.
2. Harry Arthurs
Nickname: The Iconoclast
Term: 1972–1977
“Look to your left, look to your left again.”
A leading expert on labour law, Dean Arthurs was
never shy to speak his mind and always had something to say. Arthurs represented the quintessential
dean to represent the York-era of Osgoode’s history,
contributing to its reputation for social justice. The
first female full-time faculty members were hired
under Arthurs: Professor Arbour and Professor
Mossman. The first-of-their-kind joint degree programs—the JD/MBA and JD/MES—were established,
and so was the Intensive Program in Criminal Law.
But the defining moment of Arthurs’ deanship
might be his defending the right for the law school to
remain being called Osgoode Hall. The Law Society
not unreasonably felt that having two Osgoode Halls
might be confusing, and was not quite sure this new
“Osgoode Hall” up at York was doing the brand any
favours. The rest is, of course, history, and to this
day people are perennially confused as to where
Osgoode Hall Law School is located. Arthurs would
later serve as President of York University.
1. Dean Smalley-Baker
Nickname: The Nicknamer
Term: 1944–1958
“Look to your left, look to your right, now let’s
party!”
The controversial top spot goes to a controversial
figure. By all accounts, Dean Smalley-Baker was
a horrible professor; while he was born in Canada,
he was trained in England and knew nothing of
Canadian law. He was also an alcoholic and eventually required others take over his classes as he was
physically unable to continue.
However, Dean Smalley-Baker was the right dean
for when the school needed him most. Reeling from
the sudden departure of Dean Wright, school spirits were flagging. The dean worked hard to revive
morale and pushed for the creation of sport teams,
clubs, and fraternities for Osgoode students. He
revived the Legal and Literary society, and was
known for making jovial speeches. He also would
take to giving nicknames to the graduating class, a
tradition unfortunately abandoned by his successors
(hint, hint Dean Sossin): “Pioneer Guards,” “Third
Legion,” “York Volunteers,” and “Eighth Dragoons”
are a few examples of his handiwork. For keeping the school together at its lowest point, Dean
Smalley-Baker rises to the top of the decanal class.
u

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Osgoode has a legacy of fairly remarkable persons
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