The year 1919 saw the death of former Prime Minister Laurier, the birth of future Prime Minister Trudeau, and at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, the introduction of Canada's first degree-based program in business, the Bachelor of Commerce by economist and later architect of Canada's public service O.D. Skelton .

In Getting Down to Business Mervin Daub and Bruce Buchan trace the origins of this institution to the present day. In its first eighty years the School has grown and changed, greatly expanding the range of programs it offers to a dramatically increased number of undergraduates and graduates. A series of programs for executives and a productive and research-oriented faculty also demonstrate the growth and dynamic achievements of the School. This success is even more remarkable when it is recognized that it took place far from the commercial centres of Canada and the United States.

Getting Down to Business is the fascinating story of Queen's School of Business, and of the men and women who recognized that there was a growing demand for professionally trained managers and ensured that Queen's would play a leading role in addressing that need.