Alexandra F. Johnston fonds

Administrative History

Alexandra (Sandy) F. Johnston was born in 1939. She attended Brantford Public School, Brantford Collegiate Institute and Vocational School, and studied at Victoria College from 1957 to 1961, receiving her BA in English Language and Literature. She studied medieval drama in her post-graduate work, receiving her MA and PhD from the University of Toronto in 1962 and 1964, respectively. After teaching at Queen’s University, she returned to Victoria University to serve as Assistant Professor of English in 1967 and became Professor of English in 1978. In 1981, she was appointed the first female Principal of Victoria College, and served in that position until 1991. She served again as acting Principal in 2004. After retiring from teaching in 2004, as a Professor Emerita, she worked full-time on the Records of Early English Drama (REED) project, an international scholarly project that had begun in 1975. Her achievements have been acknowledged through an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Queen’s University and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from The Presbyterian College, Montreal. She has also received the University of Toronto Faculty Award and is a member of the Royal Society of Canada.