Hon. William C. Graham, P.C., Q.C., LL.D.
Bill Graham is Chancellor, Trinity College, University of Toronto; immediate past Chair of the Atlantic Council of Canada (now the NATO Council of Canada); Chair of the Canadian International Council; and Hon. Col. of the Governor General’s Horse Guards.
He holds a B.A. and LL.B from the University of Toronto and a doctorate (Sciences juridiques) from the University of Paris. In 2010 Mr. Graham received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the Royal Military College of Canada and the Doctoral Ring of the University of Siena, Italy.
Bill Graham was first elected as Member of Parliament for Toronto-Centre-Rosedale in 1993. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from January 2002 until July 2004 and Minister of National Defence from July 2004 until January 2006. In February 2006, he was appointed leader of the Official Opposition and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, positions he served until December 2006.
From 1995 to 2002, Mr. Graham served as chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Active in international parliamentary associations, Mr. Graham was elected founding president of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas. He has served as vice president and treasurer of the Parliamentary Association of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and as treasurer of Liberal International.
Prior to his election to parliament, Mr. Graham practiced law at Fasken & Calvin in the areas of litigation and international commercial law. Subsequently, he taught international trade law, public international law, and the law of the European Community at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law and McGill and l’Université de Montréal. He has acted as an arbitrator in international commercial disputes.
A past president of the Alliance Française de Toronto, Mr. Graham has been recognized for his contributions to French language and culture in Ontario by being granted the Prix Jean-Baptiste Rousseaux, the Médaille d’argent de la ville de Paris, the Médaille d’or de l’Alliance Française, and the Ordre du mérite de l’Association des juristes de l’Ontario. He is a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur and Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade. He is an Honorary Commander of the Knights of Rizal (Philippines).