As Canada and the needs of Canadians have evolved, so too has the NRC - the root of much of the country's science and technology infrastructure. The following individuals have led the organization through its many adaptations to respond to Canada's most pressing challenges.
Feature series on the NRC's past presidents
The stories in this series are inspired by Wilfrid Eggleston's National Research in Canada: The NRC 1916-1966, which chronicles the NRC's evolution from a small advisory body to a vital national organization.
October 2021 to present
2016 to 2020
Iain S. Stewart
2020 to 2021
Mitch Davies
2010 to 2016
John R. McDougall
2005 to 2010
Pierre Coulombe, who served as NRC president from 2005 to 2010, understood the multidisciplinary nature of science and technology and had a strong vision of "one NRC"—an organization uniquely positioned as a national resource for science and technology-based innovation in Canada. Find out more.
1994 to 2004
Arthur J. Carty, an entrepreneurial scientist who served as president of the NRC from 1994 to 2004, balanced cluster development and commercialization with fundamental research strengths. Find out more.
1989 to 1994
Pierre O. Perron, a performance-oriented researcher who served as president of the NRC from 1989 to 1994, spearheaded the completion of the NRC's transformation to the institute model with a fearless management style. Find out more.
1980 to 1989
J. Larkin Kerwin
1967 to 1980
William G. Schneider
1963 to 1967
Bristow G. Ballard
1952 to 1962
Edgar W. R. Steacie
1944 to 1952
Chalmers J. Mackenzie
1935 to 1944
Andrew G. L. McNaughton
1923 to 1935
Henry M. Tory
1922 to 1923
Frank D. Adams
1921 to 1922
Robert. A. Ross
1921
Robert F. Ruttan
1916 to 1921
Archibald B. Macallum