In 1955 a group of Toronto professionals began discussions on expanding adult education in their city. The outcome was York University, which opened in 1960 with 76 students. Today, with over 50,000 students in eleven faculties on two campuses, York is the third largest university in Canada. Faculty and staff have grown from under 20 to nearly 8,000.

In York University: The Way Must Be Tried, Michiel Horn weaves archival research and interviews into a compelling narrative, documenting the development of an institution committed to helping professors and studies reach across disciplinary boundaries. He covers the challenges York has faced through the years - from the 1963 faculty "revolt," to the troubled search for a successor to founding president Murray Ross, to the budgetary problems that led to the resignation of President David Slater, as well as its many innovations and triumphs - including bilingualism at Glendon College, Osgoode Hall Law School's Parkdale legal clinic, and Canada's first concurrent Bachelor of Education program. The philosophies that guide the faculties of administrative studies, fine arts, and environmental studies, and the ground-breaking research done in science and engineering are explored in detail.

Archival and current photographs complement Horn's narrative throughout. Prose and pictures chart the creation of an important Canadian institution whose commitment to solving real-world problems has led to important innovations in education and beyond.