In 2004 John Youson retired from the University of Toronto, and thus brought the current chapter of his distinguished career as a researcher, instructor, and administrator to a close. Professor Youson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Victoria (Canada) and later a M.S. degree from McGill University (Canada); at both institutions he earned recognition as a scholar/athlete. In 1969 he completed the Ph.D. at the University of Western Ontario and joined the faculty of the University of Toronto in the same year. He ascended through the professorial ranks, reaching the rank of professor in 1981. During his last six years at the university he served successively as chair of the Department of Life Sciences, Associate Principal for Research and Graduate Studies, Vice President of the University of Toronto, and Interim Principal University of Toronto at Scarborough. During his long career at the University of Toronto, he supervised the thesis work of 35 graduate students. He is the author of over 285 publications, and has been regarded through out his career as an international expert on the biology of lampreys.