Successful Canadian businessman and tireless ally of the University of Toronto Adam Zimmerman died on October 19 at the age of 89. Zimmerman (Trinity 4T9, Football) was an avid supporter of the U of T football program, first as a fan and a player, and later as a strong advocate, financial supporter and vocal champion. On September 27, 2013, the U of T Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education honoured Zimmerman in a ceremony to formally name the key gathering place in the Varsity Centre pavilion the Adam Zimmerman Room. Below is an article written on that occasion for the 2013 fall issue of Pursuit Magazine.
Adam Zimmerman first got football fever nearly 70 years ago when, as a high school student at University of Toronto Schools, he and good friend Bill Saunderson made weekly visits to Varsity Stadium. They joined some 20,000 fellow fans who packed the stands to cheer on the Blues, reveling in the spirit that swept the campus.
Zimmerman (Trinity 4T9, Football) has seen the program through thick and thin, first as a fan and a player himself, and later as a strong advocate, financial supporter and vocal champion. Friends, family and fellow former Blues gathered on September 27 to honour Zimmerman, during a ceremony to formally name the key gathering place in the Varsity Centre pavilion the Adam Zimmerman Room. Zimmerman was joined at the event by his wife and fellow U of T alum, The Honorable Barbara McDougall.
“It’s safe to say that Adam Zimmerman, from his days at Trinity and, of course, his proud days as a member of the Varsity Blues football team, has shown extraordinary leadership capacity,” said President David Naylor, who went on to list Zimmerman’s many accomplishments in business and his tireless support of the University of Toronto. “We are fortunate that he has remained involved in the University of Toronto long after he left our campus, and I’m very happy that the spirit of Adam Zimmerman will be here looking out over the Varsity field for many, many decades to come.”
A founding member of the Friends of Football, which rallied against the University’s plan to cancel the football program, Zimmerman’s reputation as a business leader and his passionate advocacy helped convince the University to change its mind. His efforts and volunteerism over the years have earned him the University’s Arbor Award and the Faculty’s Loudon Award for the Advancement of Athletics.
Taking in the view of the new Varsity Stadium from the sunlit space which now bears his name, Zimmerman’s nostalgia shone through. “I always loved football; I really loved it. This place has had a long history in my family and I’m proud of it.”
With a birds-eye view of the state-of-the-art new stadium, the Adam Zimmerman Room offered guests of the event the best seat in the house for the Blues’ battle against the Carleton Ravens, which kicked off as the reception wound down. In the spirit of the celebration, the Blues chased the Ravens away, 50-10.