History

Willis College, Unique and Distinct (...cont)

S.T. Willis, a graduate of five commercial courses, and holding a degree, had much experience in managing business colleges in both Canada and the United States. President Gaines of Eastman College, New York, said of him: "Men possessing the well-rounded abilities and experiences that he has are a rarity." S.T. Willis was also internationally recognized as an authority on shorthand. In 1936, three leading systems of shorthand were in use. To simplify the principles of shorthand, Stephen T. Willis developed a new and improved method exclusively for Ottawa - his Willis Shorthand was first published in 1938.

Following the death of Stephen T. Willis, the College came under the leadership of the Honourable George Dunbar, Provincial Secretary for the Province of Ontario and a well-respected citizen of the City of Ottawa. Thereafter, ownership of the College was passed on to a Mrs. Bradley and in 1972 to Mr. Rodolphe Rousseau. The Principal of the College from April 1975 - 1980 was Mrs. Marguerite Service, Willis Graduate and founder of the Ontario Association of Career Colleges.

Finally, in 1989, the College witnessed a further transition with the ownership of the company being transferred to the Aristocrat family. As with her predecessors, Ms. Rima Aristocrat has cultivated the tradition of training excellence on which the College was founded and has successfully taken the College from business training to the next level - IT Training and E- Learning.

In October 5, 1996, Willis' devotion to quality training was proclaimed by Her Worship, Jacquelin Holzman, Mayor of the City of Ottawa.

".WHEREAS in recognition of the close association between the College and the City of Ottawa, and the College's reputation for training excellence, which it has maintained since its doors first opened in 1896.

"...WHEREAS, I, Jacquelin Holzman, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, do hereby proclaim Saturday, October 5, 1996 to be Willis Business College Day in the City of Ottawa."

In recognition of her foresight and successful provision of training to meet the technical requirements of the current times and for her significant contributions to the community as well as to her fellow Canadians, Rima Aristocrat, President and CEO of Willis Business College, was presented with the Ottawa Centre Canadian Leadership Award as well as she was distinguished by Chatelaine's "Who's Who of Canadian Women" for her accomplishments over the last ten years at the helm of Willis College of Business & Technology.