Glendon began as a suburban country estate with an elegant mansion at its centre and was bequeathed to York University in the 1950s. Glendon opened in 1959 as the founding campus of York University and was officially inaugurated in 1966 by then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

Glendon’s development was shaped by the vision of its founding Principal, Escott Reid, a diplomat, respected scholar, and high-level public servant. Reid provided Glendon with its unique mission of bilingualism and the liberal arts, and determined the distinctive position Glendon was to occupy within Canada’s university system.

Thanks to Escott Reid and the continued commitment of his successors, Glendon has successfully developed this mission over the last 50 years, providing a first-class liberal arts education in both of Canada’s official languages with an increasingly international flair.