On 4 June 2025, Professor Emeritus of Economics Michael Hare died. He was 92. A developmental economist who retired from the department in 1999, he continued to teach until 2013 when he reached the age of 80 and celebrated 50 years of teaching. Hare was instrumental in the development of several courses that are still taught across the tri-campus, including ECO105 for non-specialists, which is the only economics course many students take in their undergraduate studies.
“What I remember most about Mike Hare was his deep and unwavering commitment to students – especially in ECO 100. When I was a new student here in 1980, several of my Commerce friends were in his section. They raved about him—not because he was easy (he wasn’t), but because he was clear, demanding, and cared deeply about helping students learn,” said Professor Dwayne Benjamin, Vice Provost of Strategic Enrolment Management. “He was rightly proud of his role in shaping that foundational course, and even more proud of the generations of students who came through it. Teaching wasn’t just his profession; it was clearly his calling. In fact, it was hard to imagine him ever leaving the classroom – his dedication ran that deep.”
Professor Hare joined the University of Toronto’s then Department of Political Economy in 1963. Just four years later, the opening of the University of Toronto Mississauga campus – then known as Erindale College — saw Hare take on greater levels of responsibility.
“Michael Hare was the first economist to join the teaching staff at Erindale College when it opened in 1967, and he played a key role in building what would eventually grow into the Department of Economics at UTM,” said Professor Ronald Wolthoff, Chair of Economics at UTM. “Over the years, he taught and supported countless students and took on important leadership roles. We’re proud to carry on his legacy through the annual Michael J. Hare Award, given to the top student in our introductory economics courses.”
Former students remember Professor Hare for how he made large classes personal and treated each student as an individual.
“Michael Hare was my introductory Economics professor in 1976/77,” remembered alumna Carol Nash. “Respect is the most important quality we can bring to our interactions with others is what he taught. In a class of about 200, he knew all our names and graciously referred to them whenever he called on us to speak.”
Professor Hare’s contribution to the teaching of economics is still in evidence today.
“The teaching legacy Michael Hare left with both the St. George and UTM campuses is profound,” said Professor Ettore Damiano, Chair of the Department. “We still teach undergraduate courses he was instrumental in developing and interact with alumni who encountered him over his five decades of inspired, thoughtful, and student-centred instruction.”
Professor Hare was pre-deceased by his wife Marion Hare (nee Stone) in 2006. He is survived by his son Gregory and his wife Catherine, his daughter Melanie Hare and her husband David, his daughter Kim Fletcher and her husband Scott, as well as his four grandchildren Natasha, Alexander, Oliver and Oscar.
Professor Hare’s memorial service was on 9 June at Trinity College. Hare was Fellow Emeritus of the college.
Return to the Department of Economics website.
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