Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 8, 2003
• Invested on: December 12, 2003

In 1952, as a physicist at the University of Toronto, Patterson Hume pioneered the development of software for the first electronic computer in Canada. Now professor emeritus in the Department of Computer Science, he has championed the field and his teaching and mentorship have inspired several generations of students. Having co-written the first book on computer applications in business, he later helped to create many of the early educational programs about science and physics for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He is also master emeritus of Massey College, where he has provided distinguished leadership.