Former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Regina during the 2005 fall convocation at the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, Sat., Oct. 15.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Romanow entered politics in 1967 when he was elected to the Saskatchewan legislature. Between then and his retirement from active political life in 2001 his career included 11 years of service as the province's attorney general and as intergovernmental affairs minister, four years as leader of the opposition, and a further 10 years as Saskatchewan's premier.

During that time Romanow's name became a household word across Canada. He played a significant role in the federal-provincial talks that led to the constitutional accord of 1981, and subsequently was an active participant in negotiations to clarify and further modernize Canada's constitution.

Romanow's involvement with national affairs continued following his retirement from politics. In April 2001, the prime minister appointed him as a one-person Royal commission to study and make recommendations to reform Canada's healthcare system. His final report, "Building on Values," was tabled in the House of Commons in 2002. It continues to be a part of the ongoing debate on Canada's healthcare system. 

Today, Romanow is an adjunct professor in the U of R's Graduate School of Public Policy; a senior fellow in public policy, Department of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan; visiting fellow in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University, and a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee. 

Candidates for honorary degrees may be nominated by anyone, and must be approved by both the University senate and council. The University of Regina has bestowed 144 previous honorary degrees. Former recipients include former Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas (1978), Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard (1989), hockey great Gordie Howe (1997), Saskatchewan philanthropist and patron of the arts Jacqui Shumiatcher (2002), intellectual Michael Ignatieff (2003), and the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 2004.