Peter Savaryn (1982–1986)
Peter Savaryn was born in 1927 and immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 1949. He received his BA in 1955 and his LLB in 1956, both from the University of Alberta. Savaryn is a Senior Partner in the law firm Savaryn & Savaryn. He was the twelfth Chancellor of the University of Alberta, holding the position from 1982 to 1986.
A member of the Progressive Conservative Party since 1954, Savaryn served as vice-president of the national PC party for two years and was also president of the Alberta PC and Edmonton East PC Associations. For 25 years, he was a delegate to provincial and national leadership conventions.
Active in the Ukrainian community, Savaryn was the World Leader of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians and is a co-founder of both the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council.
Savaryn has a long history of cultural involvement and outstanding service to the Ukrainian-Canadian community. Affiliated with the YMCA, the Fort Edmonton Historical Society, Canada West Foundation, Canadian Wildlife Federation, and a founding member of the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council, Savaryn was also past president of the Edmonton Ukrainian-Canadian Committee, Ukrainian-Canadian Professional and Business Club of Edmonton, and National Executive of the Canadian Foundation of Ukrainian Studies. He served as chairman of the board of referees for the Unemployment Insurance Commission for the Edmonton district. His achievements and support for multiculturalism have earned him numerous awards, including the Shevchenko Medal, the highest award of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. He has also received an honorary LLD from the University of Alberta, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law Society of Alberta, and the University of Alberta's Alumni Association's Honour Award. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1987.