John Egsgard can boast of a unique honour within the fraternity of North American mathematics teachers. He was the first, and only, Canadian ever elected president of N.C.T.M. He served in that position from 1976-78. He was also the first president of C.A.M.T., and president of O.A.T.M. and O.A.M.E.
Those leadership roles, however, do not eclipse his impressive classroom career. John taught for 47 years, and in many locations: Aquinas Institute, Rochester, N.Y.; St. Michael’s College School (his alma mater); Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, N.H.; Twin Lake S.S. and Patrick Fogarty S.S. in Orillia; and at the International School of Geneva in Switzerland.
In 1993 John won the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.  An example of that excellence: one of his students, Don Curran, followed in John’s footsteps by also winning a Descartes Medal.
John has a number of mathematics textbooks to his credit, and has been editor of the O.A.M.E. Gazette.
Sports, like skiing and hiking, along with parish work, take up John’s spare hours.