David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commission and former Colonel of the Regiment for the Royal Canadian Regiment. Johnston was born and raised in Ontario, studying there before enrolling at Harvard University and later Cambridge and Queen's universities. He went on to work as a professor at various post-secondary institutions in Canada, eventually serving administrative roles as dean of law at the University of Western Ontario, principal of McGill University, and president of the University of Waterloo. At the same time, Johnston involved himself with politics and public service, moderating political debates and chairing commissions in both the federal and provincial spheres, his most renowned position in that field being the chairmanship of the inquiry into the Airbus affair. He was in 2010 appointed as governor general by then monarch Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of then Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, to replace Michaëlle Jean as viceroy and he occupied the post until succeeded by Julie Payette in 2017. Early life and education Johnston was born on June 28, 1941 in Sudbury, Ontario, to Lloyd Johnston, the owner of a hardware store, and Dorothy Stonehouse. He attended Sault Collegiate Institute in Sault Ste. Marie, where he played quarterback for the football team and under-17 hockey with future National Hockey League (NHL) members Phil and Tony Esposito and Lou Nanne. Johnston aimed to play in the NHL himself and was visited by scout Jimmy Skinner. However, upon learning from Skinner that most boys drafted would not be completing high school, Johnston's mother refused to negotiate further. Johnston graduated high school and moved on to Harvard University in 1959, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in 1963. While at Harvard, under the coaching of Cooney Weiland, Johnston captained the varsity ice hockey team, was twice selected to the All-America team, and met and befriended Erich Segal, the two becoming jogging partners. In 1970, Segal wrote the best-selling novel Love Story, basing a character in the book—Davey, a captain of the hockey team—on Johnston. Johnston suffered three concussions from playing football and hockey; he was told by his doctor to either wear a helmet (at a time when they were unpopular) or stop playing hockey.