Alexander Kennedy Isbister (June 1822 – 28 May 1883) was born at Cumberland House, Rupert's Land (now Saskatchewan).
He was an HBC employee in his early career and later was a lawyer and an educational writer and author of many school books.
During that period, he explored the Mackenzie River basin and later used the information gathered to produce important geological writings and the first chromolithograph map for the area.
The passion over Métis rights grew out of discrimination he had felt during his tenure with the Hudson's Bay Company.
In 1873, he was elected as the College's dean, in part, due to his conservative, scholarly and cautious approach to educational development.