Lynton R. Wilson '62, a titan of Canadian business and public service and one of McMaster University's most influential alumni, volunteers and philanthropists, died Monday at the age of 85. Widely known by his nickname, "Red," Wilson built a transformative McMaster legacy that includes the L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, L.R. Wilson Hall and the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.

"We have lost a McMaster icon, an exceptional Canadian and just a magnificent person," said McMaster President and Vice-Chancellor Susan Tighe. "Red was a true gentleman who rose to the apex of both the private and public sectors."

"Every encounter I had with him left me feeling prouder to be part of the McMaster family that was so important to him and so vital to everything he hoped our country could achieve."

Wilson competed as a member of the McMaster tennis team from 1958 through 1962, and was a dual-sport athlete competing on the Marauder football team in his first year. He remained a steadfast supporter of McMaster Athletics over the years and made a significant impact on the Marauder community.

Raised in Port Colborne, Ont., Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster in 1962 before completing his MA at Cornell University and beginning his career with an appointment as a foreign service officer with Canada's Department of Trade and Commerce, holding posts at the Canadian embassies in Austria and Japan.

He then worked as an economist for John Labatt Limited before returning to public service with the federal Ministry of State, Science & Technology and later working with the Ontario Ministry of Industry & Tourism, where he served as deputy minister.

In the private sector once again, Wilson was a vice-president with MacMillan Bloedel Enterprises Inc. before joining Redpath Industries Ltd. as its president and chief executive officer.
His defining professional move was his 1990 appointment as president and chief operating officer of BCE Inc. Two years later, he became CEO, adding the chairman's title in 1993. He led BCE through a decade of marketplace, regulatory and technological change, achieving exceptional results for one of Canada's highest-profile and largest companies.

At McMaster, Wilson was a game-changing presence for more than four decades, beginning with his time as a member of the Board of Governors in the 1980s and then as chair of the Changing Tomorrow Today campaign from 1997 to 2002.

He was a member of the executive committee of the Campaign for McMaster University and served two three-year terms as the university's chancellor beginning in 2007.
 

important projects, including the L.R. Wilson Chair in Canadian History, the L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, the L.R. Wilson/Bell Canada Enterprises Chair in Data Communication, and the Centre for Foresight and Leadership Change.

His 2008 gift to the liberal arts funded L.R. Wilson Hall, and he made cornerstone gifts in support of the Athletics & Recreation Centre and Stadium campaign and the Socrates Project.

He developed and funded the unique Wilson Leadership Scholar Awards program in 2016 and, two years later, helped establish the McMaster Canada Project. In September 2022, he announced a gift of $50 million to establish the first-of-its-kind Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.

McMaster was not the only institution to benefit from Wilson's generosity. He supported a long list of worthy causes, primarily in education, history, the arts, community development, public policy and public service. He established, for example, the L.R. Wilson/R.J. Currie Chair in Canadian Business History at the University of Toronto, and the L.R. Wilson Chair in Information Technology and E-Commerce Law at Université de Montréal.

He also made leadership gifts to organizations including the Oakville Hospital Foundation, Canadian Policy Research Networks, United Way, Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian History Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens, Canadian Centre for Creative Technology and the L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archive in his hometown of Port Colborne. Wilson also co-founded the Historica Foundation to provide Canadians with a deeper understanding of the nation's history.


An in-demand corporate director for half a century, Wilson was part of more than 50 boards including serving as chair of the Canadian-based flight simulator company CAE Inc. and being a member of the supervisory board of Daimler Chrysler AG (Germany).

Additionally, he held dozens of volunteer leadership roles with professional and not-for-profit organizations such as the Canadian American Committee, the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, the Business Council on National Issues, the Canadian Opera Company, the Royal Ontario Museum and McGill University.

Wilson was a member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee on the Public Service and chaired the Team Canada Inc. Advisory Board, the Canada Savings Bonds Payroll Program and the Government  of Canada's Competition Policy Review Panel.

Wilson was a member of the McMaster Alumni Gallery, a recipient of the McMaster Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award and the recipient, in 1995, of a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from McMaster.

He was an officer of the Order of Canada, companion of the Order of the Business Hall of Fame, fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors and an honorary member of the Engineering Institute of Canada.

He was named Canadian International Business Executive of the Year by the Canadian Council for International Business, recognized as the Scot of the Year and received dozens of other honours including the Distinguished Service to Canada Award from the Public Policy Forum, the B'nai Brith of Canada Award of Merit, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada's Vanier Medal and the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education's Friend of Education Award.

Wilson is the subject of the upcoming biography authored by Dimitry Anastakis, L.R. "Red" Wilson, A Canadian Journey: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Legacy.

"Red helped build our University into one of the world's best through the force of his volunteer leadership and generosity," reflected Tighe. "We miss him deeply."

A longtime resident of Oakville, Ontario, Lynton "Red" Wilson is survived by his wife, Brenda, and their three children and grandchildren.

McMaster University's flags will be lowered to half-mast on Thursday, Feb. 12, in Wilson's memory. The university is honoured to host a Celebration of Life for Wilson in the spring.

The McMaster community is welcome to submit messages to the family via this link.