 The province was in the midst of a major building phase with its education system, to accommodate an enormous increase in enrollment following the Baby Boomer generation of the post-World War II era, and Robarts played an important role as education minister, with the establishment of new institutions such as York University.In 1961, Robarts became the 17th premier of Ontario, and served in that capacity until 1971.He was an advocate of individual freedoms, and promoted the rights of the provinces against the centralizing initiatives of the federal government.