Egerton Ryerson

Adolphus Egerton Ryerson (March 24, 1803 - February 19, 1882) was a Canadian educator, author, editor, and Methodist clergyman who was a key figure in the development of the Canadian public school system. Ryerson is widely regarded as the father of the Ontario public education system. Ryerson was a passionate opponent of Christian sectarianism and the affluent Anglican elite's rule of Upper Canada, and he advocated for a system of free public education in Canada. Ryerson, on the other hand, was...See more

Adolphus Egerton Ryerson (March 24, 1803 - February 19, 1882) was a Canadian educator, author, editor, and Methodist clergyman who was a key figure in the development of the Canadian public school system. Ryerson is widely regarded as the father of the Ontario public education system. Ryerson was a passionate opponent of Christian sectarianism and the affluent Anglican elite's rule of Upper Canada, and he advocated for a system of free public education in Canada. Ryerson, on the other hand, was deeply committed to Christianization, favoring missionary work and opposing the removal of the Bible from Ontario schools. Ryerson became the founding editor of The Christian Guardian and the first principal of Victoria College after serving as a missionary to the Mississaugas of the Credit River. In 1844, Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe appointed him as Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada, where he promoted reforms including as school boards, uniform textbooks, and free education. His considerable contributions to early education in Ontario have resulted in monuments and the naming of various institutions and places throughout the province. See less