Aleksander (Alek) Olsen earned his Bachelor of Commerce from Sir George Williams College in 1954, and his MBA in 1958 from the University of Western Ontario, where he was awarded the Proctor & Gamble scholarship. He served as Associate Professor in the University of Waterloo’s Economics Department from 1973 to 1980, and then as an Associate Professor in the School of Accounting and Finance from 1980 to 1994. He taught Introductory Financial Accounting, Management, and Organizational Policy. Alek served as Associate Chairman and Undergraduate Officer in both the Economics Department and the School of Accounting and Finance.
Alek was born and raised in Montreal and grew up during two significant decades – the economic depression of the 30’s and the second World War of the 40’s. He learned to do without, to share, and to help others. It was not all dire, however. Alek derived much pleasure from sports, including football in the autumn, skiing in the winter, track and field in the spring, and baseball in the summer. Sports came first and school second, but he did manage to graduate – barely. He had to repeat his senior year.
Before going to college, Alek worked for four years as a telephone lineman assigned to an emergency crew. He was on call 24 hours a day. One January morning in 1953, at 4:00 am, he was 40 feet up a telephone pole trying to splice wires in one of Quebec’s famous ice storms. He said to himself, “Alek, you’re going back to school.” The following September he enrolled at Sir George Williams College. Now his studies were first, sports were second.
Alek has been involved in many volunteer activities. He was a past member of the Board of Governors and Executive Committee for St. John’s Kilmarnock School, as well as past President of Elora and District Minor Sports League. He has also coached minor league baseball teams and served as Director for the Elora and District minor lacrosse league and the Elmira Golf Course.
Alek and his wife have two daughters and one son, and enjoy spending time with their seven grandchildren.
2003 Fellow: Natalie Muzyczka
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