CBA 2016: Dr. Fred W. Sheridan wins Legacy award

Fred W. Sheridan was a man of vision who influenced and helped shape so many aspects of our community including education, health care and community development. He passed away on June 11, 1990, but his legacy lives on and today’s generation deserves to know about those, like Sheridan, who were so instrumental in laying the foundation for today.

Sheridan had an unwavering commitment to all levels of education.

He was a trustee on the Sudbury High School Board and then the Sudbury Board of Education for 34 years, serving as chair for 12 of the 34 years He was a founding member of the Northern Ontario Public and Secondary School Trustees Association, director of the Association for varying periods during his 32-year tenure, and chair for two years. He was also a founding member of the Ontario School Trustees Council, serving for 29 years.

At the post-secondary level, Sheridan was an active supporter of and contributor to Cambrian College and Laurentian University.

He was instrumental in the establishment of Cambrian as a member of the initial group of Ontarians asked in 1965, by the then minister of education, to comment on the concept of a system of colleges of applied arts and technology. Sheridan was a founding member of the college’s board of governors and served on the board for nine years, with two as chair. He played a key role in the site selection and purchase of the permanent campus on Barry Downe Rd. Sheridan always maintained a close relationship to Cambrian, and shortly before his death joined the Cambrian Foundation’s fundraising campaign as a member of the steering committee.

The Dr. Fred W. Sheridan Award, one of Cambrian’s most prestigious awards, is named in his honour.

At Laurentian, Sheridan was a dedicated member of the board of governors for 13 years, serving on various committees and as chair of the building and development committee for a period of time. As the university’s special adviser to the J.N. Desmarais Library project, he was a major force in its successful and timely completion.

Health care and community were also among Sheridan’s foci. He was a member of the board of directors of the Sudbury Algoma Hospital for some 25 years, a founding member of the Sudbury and District Hospital Council, a director of the Sudbury Association of Community Living and a member of the board of directors of Science North, as well as a member of various sports and leisure clubs and boards.

Sheridan received many acknowledgements over the years for his commitment to education and community, including being named governor of the decade in 1978 for his contributions to the Ontario College System, receiving a provincial government citation for excellence in education, and being awarded an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University in recognition of his community endeavours. Sheridan Technical School also bore his name, as does the Sheridan Auditorium at Sudbury Secondary School.

Fred Sheridan exemplified good citizenship. He was an employee of Inco Ltd. for 42 years, retiring in 1975. During those years and all the years that followed, he was true to his philosophy of “commitment to service,” leading by example and instilling values in his family that would result in subsequent generations also giving back to community.

Linda. S. Wilson is a retired executive from Cambrian College and a current member of several community boards.