Byron Edmund Walker

Byron Edmund Walker was the archetype of the capitalist as civic builder. Rising from a modest start as a bank clerk in Hamilton, Ontario, he became the formidable president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, steering it through the nation's expansion in the early 20th century. But his boardroom was merely a means to an end. Walker possessed a voracious intellectual curiosity, with passions ranging from geology and archaeology to fine art and literature. He leveraged his financial power and persuasive skills not for personal grandeur, but for public enrichment. He was the driving force, often the crucial fundraiser, behind the institutions that would define Canadian cultural life: he chaired the board of the University of Toronto, spearheaded the creation of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and was instrumental in founding the National Gallery of Canada. For Walker, a nation's strength was measured by its libraries, museums, and schools, and he wrote the checks—and convinced his wealthy peers to do the same—to make that vision a reality.