In 1970 former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson gave the inaugural F. B. Watts Memorial Lecture at UTSC. In honour of Fred Watts, a geography professor and founding member of UTSC who passed away in 1969, the lecture series was established by the Watts family for the purpose of inviting distinguished speakers with broad appeal within the university as well as the local community. Other notable speakers over the years were former Prime Minister of Canada John Diefenbaker; scientist and astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar; and Lieutenant-General the Honourable Roméo Dallaire, Senator.