33 minute read
Campaign for Acadia
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA
By Rachel Cooper (’89)
Campaign surpasses ambitious goal, positions Acadia for bright future
IN OCTOBER 2018, ACADIA LAUNCHED the public phase of its most ambitious fundraising goal ever: to raise $75 million. Campaign for Acadia was a call to action – to sustain Acadia now and build for the future by finding vital programs and priorities across Acadia’s faculties under four Campaign themes: Transform, Inspire, Discover, and Build.
Since the public phase launch, the Office of Advancement has hosted more than 200 Campaign-related events, and the response from Acadia’s alumni and friends was enthusiastic and generous.
Despite the challenging circumstances of the pandemic that brought much of the world to a halt in March 2020, donors continued to find great value in giving to the University and its faculty, the campus and, most of all, its students. Acadia is happy to announce that the Campaign has now exceeded its $75-million goal, and will continue to count new gifts and pledges until the end of December.
The success of the Campaign reflects the strong and loyal support of thousands of donors, many of whom have been recognized and celebrated in previous issues of the Bulletin and on the Campaign for Acadia website: campaign.acadiau.ca. Helping to push us over the top in recent months were friends and allies like BMO, John T. Clark, Nadja and Paul Corkum, David Davidson among many others.
• BMO is donating $1.25 million in support of BMO
Entrance Scholarships ($850,000), BMO Athletics Awards ($150,000), and the BMO Partnership Fund ($250,000).
• John T. Clark (’52,’10 DCL) is giving $800,000 for the endowed Wilma H. Clark Music Therapy Awards.
Paul (’65) and Nadja
• Nadja (’66) and Paul Corkum (’65) are making a generous gift to establish the Corkum
Scholarships in Physics.
• David Davidson (’71, ’74) and wife Gina are giving more than $500,000 to fund two annual awards for female students majoring in Economics and annual Corkum (’66).
programming support for the
Centre for Student Success.
John T. Clark (’52,’10 DCL).
Many reasons for giving For corporations such as BMO, philanthropy is an important aspect of the Bank’s identity and commitment to corporate social responsibility. For individual donors, the reasons for giving are often profoundly personal.
The seeds of John T. Clark’s decision to fund Music Therapy awards in memory of his late wife, Wilma, were sown in a chance encounter on the Labour Day weekend of 1953. On that weekend, John heard Wilma singing in an end-of-season variety show put on by the young staff of the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. He asked a friend to introduce him to this attractive young woman with the beautiful singing voice and the rest, according to John, was history. The following summer, John and Wilma were married. Their marriage was a story of love and devotion for 65 years. John and Wilma raised a family and music was always a part of Wilma’s life. In late 2018, near the end of her eightyear journey with Alzheimer’s disease, she moved to the Passamaquoddy Lodge, a nursing home in St. Andrews. “Every week, a musician would come in to entertain the residents,” John says. “Wilma was only there for five-anda-half months, and she still loved music and still sang. You could see what a difference music made to her and to all the people with dementia.”
When John learned that Acadia offered a degree program in Music Therapy – unique to Eastern Canada – he and the family knew this was the right program and the right time for them to fund a new award. Through the J.T. Clark Family Foundation, which John and Wilma set up in 2000 and continued funding, he has made a gift to Acadia of $800,000 in Wilma’s memory. The Wilma H. Clark Award(s) will be granted to Bachelor of Music Therapy students in their third year of study who are entering into practicum placements, initially in multiples of $10,000.
Making an impact Gifts such as these have propelled the Campaign for Acadia to its successful conclusion, says Dr. Rod Morrison, Vice-President, Advancement. “Acadia is deeply fortunate to enjoy the support of alumni from every element of our diverse community, all of whom are united by tremendous loyalty to their alma mater,” he notes.
University President Dr. Peter Ricketts expressed his gratitude to all who contributed, saying, “each gift was invaluable and will have a meaningful impact on our students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the ongoing development of our campus infrastructure. As Acadia transitions toward implementation of our Acadia 2025 strategic plan, the thousands of Campaign for Acadia donations from our kind and generous donors have strengthened the University’s position in the postsecondary milieu. I’d like to applaud and personally thank our alumni, friends and corporate partners for their generosity, determination and commitment to Acadia. You have all made us better, and given us the tools and resources to make a positive and lasting impact both now and in the future.”
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA
Nancy McCain reflects on successful Campaign for Acadia, applauds the many donors who made every gift matter
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG WHEN YOU’RE TALKING TO Nancy McCain (’82) to feel her passion and affection for Acadia University. Thoughtful and articulate, McCain’s strong personal and family connection to the University literally spans decades and she is proud to extol the virtues of her alma mater.
Small wonder she was asked to Chair the most ambitious fundraising effort in the institution’s storied history, Campaign for Acadia. A quiet leader and active member of Acadia’s Board of Governors, McCain worked cooperatively with Acadia’s administration and staff in the Office of Advancement to build a Campaign Cabinet brimming with capable and committed alumni dedicated to meeting the Campaign’s $75-million goal.
Buoyed by the persistent momentum created by Acadia’s alumni, donors, friends, and partners and a wonderfully generous $2-million gift dedicated to enhanced facilities and services for Acadia students from McCain and her husband, The Honourable Bill Morneau, the University has exceeded its fundraising target for the Campaign.
McCain thanked the thousands of people who supported the Campaign financially, noting that its motto, ‘every gift matters’, was truly representative of the collective effort to ensure the Campaign’s success.
“We often focus on the big gifts because they’re so exciting and wonderful, and particularly with Campaign for Acadia, they came from alumni who are so successful in their lives and simply wanted to give back. Those gifts can be transformative for a University like Acadia; they’re really important.
“But the smaller gifts and the stories behind them are so touching and meaningful. People find their passion and what resonates with them, then come together to make a difference. When you hear about recent graduates who decided to put a small portion of their hard-earned savings toward something that’s important to them; those are the stories that are quite impactful for all of us. Every gift does matter,” she adds. “The combination of those big and small gifts makes the difference and really speaks to the importance that Acadia holds for so many alumni. That has been the great thing about this Campaign. When you’re giving back to what matters to you, that’s real philanthropy. That’s the exciting part, and it reflects the kind of experience that Acadia offers.”
Deep family ties McCain’s family history – her father, Andrew H. McCain, and two of her children as well as brother Stephen (’81), sister Margie (’77), aunt Eleanor McCain (’45), uncle Harrison McCain (’49) and many members of her extended family have graduated from or attended Acadia – has forged powerful
connective tissue from one generation to the next and was a determining factor in her decision to serve as Campaign Chair. “But I also come from a family that has been very, very fortunate and we were brought up to know that it’s important to give back to our communities in whatever fashion that happens to be.”
She wanted to sink her teeth into something that could be impactful for the University and provide today’s students with the same kind of experience that she benefitted from during her time at Acadia. Conversations she had with scores of alumni at the many Campaign events before the coronavirus pandemic only reinforced her perception about Acadia and its value to constituents.
“I always knew that our alumni were really passionate about the school, but you don’t really understand it until you have the opportunity to meet the community across the country and other parts of the world. They come together and you hear the stories, the shared and transformative experiences that some of them have had, and it affects you deeply. Acadia alumni know one another, talk to one another, and they want to engage.
Outstanding group effort She applauded also the dedication of the Campaign Cabinet, made up of diverse and accomplished alumni from around the world. “They brought their skills, ideas, energy and enthusiasm. All of them worked in whatever capacity they could to further the goals of the Campaign and they made a substantial commitment. A lot of people go through life and don’t step up, but these alumni did, and did it in spades.”
In the end, McCain says, the Campaign’s success was a group effort that depended entirely on the leadership and support of University President Dr. Peter Ricketts, Vice-President Advancement Dr. Rod Morrison, Campaign Director and Executive Director of Philanthropy Nancy Handrigan (’92) and an outstanding cast and crew that were focused on a single outcome: to support Acadia now and in generations to come.
“What could be better?” she asks rhetorically. “It was an extremely positive experience on all fronts and I honestly feel like I got more out of it than Acadia did. Once again, through Acadia, I forged some great new friendships and have many memories to sift through. This was a wonderful group effort and a huge thank-you is necessary. It needs to be said to everyone who was involved and worked relentlessly on this Campaign. We exceeded the goal and it’s going to benefit Acadia, which we all love. It’s a great news story!”
We couldn’t agree more, and wish to thank Nancy McCain for her commitment to Acadia and generosity in supporting the University’s students, faculty and campus infrastructure.
Kudos for Nancy McCain
NANCY McCAIN’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO Campaign for Acadia reflect quiet leadership and an affinity for the institution that resonated strongly with alumni and donors far and wide. University President Dr. Peter Ricketts says, “Nancy McCain has always been a wonderful ambassador for Acadia University and was a logical choice to serve as Campaign Chair. Her connection to our alumni and donor communities paid dividends time and again over the course of our fundraising effort, and her genuine affection for Acadia was on full display whenever she visited campus and attended the many Campaign events hosted by our Office of Advancement. She has been a beacon throughout and played a vital role in our success. I’d like to thank her on behalf of the University and say how extremely grateful we are for her kind support and incredible generosity that has enabled us to exceed our Campaign goal of $75-milliion.” Vice-President, Advancement Dr. Rod Morrison agreed, noting that McCain “brought a tremendous profile to the Campaign that had an immediate and lasting impact. That momentum never wavered, and I think that a large part of our success has been a result of her energy and determination to do all she could to support Acadia’s students in their academic and personal endeavours. Her tireless work with my colleagues in Advancement, Campaign Director Nancy Handrigan (’92), our Campaign Cabinet, Dr. Ricketts, the University’s administration and alumni here at home and around the world inspired our collective efforts and ensured a positive outcome. A huge thanks to her and the McCain family for believing in Acadia and supporting this ambitious fundraising effort.” “Nancy McCain is a delight to work with,” Handrigan says. “She’s so easy to talk to and it was a pleasure to see how easily members of our alumni community – of all life’s stages – embraced her and connected with her. We had a great time working together and it has been a privilege to share this remarkable journey with her. I’m so proud of our team and incredibly thankful for Nancy’s leadership.” “From my perspective,” McCain says, “the Campaign was an extremely positive experience on all fronts. We have a great Acadia team and I’ve enjoyed working with such accomplished people. All of them worked in whatever capacity they could to further the goals of the Campaign and I think we hit it out of the ballpark.”
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA TRANSFORM
Alumnus Saj Joseph establishes Athletics award to honour dad’s memory, challenges students today to be change agents of tomorrow
Things my father taught me
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
Saj Joseph (’02) and his brother with their father, P. C. Joseph.
OF THE MANY LESSONS SAVIOR (SAJ) JOSEPH (BBA, ’02) learned from his father, one continues to define his personal philosophy and approach to life: never take anything for granted. All good things are a result of effort, diligence, resilience and honour.
These characteristics defined Joseph’s career as a studentathlete at Acadia, where he excelled academically and athletically, starring both in the classroom and on the basketball court from 1997 to 2002. His efforts allowed him to leverage the broad skills he acquired at Acadia to aspire to and obtain executive leadership positions across multiple sectors. Joseph is currently a Board Member and President of Breathing Green Solutions, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“Letting go of ego, honing your craft,” he says, are vital to a successful outcome. His father’s positive influence and the leadership skills Joseph developed at Acadia gave him the tools to create high-performing, diverse teams, and he has dedicated himself to sharing those tools with those around him for the benefit of all. Giving back is a large component of his philosophy, which is why in 2017 Joseph established the P. C. Joseph Award in honour and memory of his father ‘for his lifelong support of Savior’s leadership and basketball development. The award, granted to a returning men’s basketball player, is in recognition of their leadership, community involvement, positive communication skills and good academic standing.’
Perseverance, passion and love “My dad’s story is one of perseverance, passion and love,” Joseph adds. “He immigrated to Canada from India in the 1970s, to a place where he was one of a very, very small group of racialized people. That said, he was fortunate to be born into privilege in his home country of India and so, with this privilege of education and knowledge, he, with the equal effort and love of my mother, was able to build a wonderful life for his family in beautiful Deer Lake, Newfoundland.
“At a young age, he gave my brother and me the ability to see the differences in people as beauty and that, as a leader, our
job was to understand and respect those differences; to find ways to ensure everyone was connected. Over time, a sense of responsibility for using the privilege I had to make a difference was instilled. My family felt that passing on my father’s teachings to those in our Acadia family would be a beautiful way to honour him and so we worked closely with our friends – Director of Athletics Kevin Dickie; Development Officer Len Hawley; and, of course, head men’s basketball coach Kevin Duffie (’09, ’19) – to develop the terms for the award. We provide it annually to a member of the men’s basketball team who best displays my father’s values.”
Interestingly enough, those values were embodied in Joseph’s basketball coach at Acadia. Dave Nutbrown demanded attention to detail, everyday excellence, and his passion for the game and those dedicated to it was unparalleled. He pushed Joseph and his teammates to be their best, just as Joseph’s father did within his own family growing up.
As a result, Joseph describes his years at Acadia as transformative. He found a deeper resiliency and learned to lead authentically, to literally and figuratively pass the ball to someone else and see them succeed. He also learned “to find a passion in the work and take pride in giving it your best consistently, no matter the outcome.”
But why create an award for student-athletes? Given his history and influences, it certainly makes sense, but Joseph sees a much deeper purpose with a more global perspective. “I think the academic and student experience combined with our historic Athletics programs provides a great training ground for those who will build a better world for all people. I am placing my hopes on many of Acadia’s student-athletes of today becoming leaders of tomorrow. I am also hopeful that they will help lead and fix the many complex problems of the past that unfortunately still exist today, as well as many new challenges that we are likely to face as human beings in the years ahead. Like my dad, I want them to feel the responsibility and use the privileged positions they are and will be in to help create the change the world needs to see.
“Intensity and pressure, a strong coaching culture, communication skills, and supporting the success of teammates are all directly transferable to roles and projects outside the gym. Working in this type of environment consistently develops leadership. If the team is diverse, it adds another level of connection by better understanding and respecting people of different backgrounds. In my view, these things are paramount in shaping our future leaders’ sense of responsibility for fixing the systemic challenges that are apparent in our world, and this is why my family chooses to give to Acadia and support student-athletes in my father’s name.”
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA INSPIRE
Professor Dr. Terrance Weatherbee.
Steamspace offers campus,
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
community a world of possibilities
IT’S AMAZING HOW SOMETIMES A SINGLE GIFT can open a world of possibilities, inspire the imagination, and nurture the pursuit of greater things. Take Acadia’s Steamspace, for instance.
The brainchild of Business Professor Dr. Terrance Weatherbee and Associate Professor Dr. Donna Sears, the new facility, located in Raymond House on the Acadia campus, began with a $5,000 donation in 2014 from Calgary businessman and Campaign for Acadia Cabinet member Kevin Mullen (’86). Mullen is the founder and President of Empire Custom Homes and Empire Kitchen and Bath, two Calgary-based businesses for custom luxury construction, and a former member of the Manning School of Business Advisory Board.
Mullen was intrigued by a presentation on 3-D printers by Weatherbee and Sears and saw the value of 3-D printing for business students. One of his owns businesses uses 3-D printing to prototype for customers and he was exposed to it as an emerging technology, a technology that he thought Acadia should have. His gift provided for the purchase of two 3-D printers, both of which are still in use, and now reside in Steamspace. What’s a Steamspace? But what exactly is a ‘Steamspace’? Weatherbee says it riffs on a combination of two concepts: the acronym STEAM, emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and ‘makerspace’, which together has created something that is unique to the Atlantic region and capable of servicing multiple audiences.
“In general terms,” he says, “a makerspace is a platform designed to foster learning, promote creativity, innovation and invention through collaboration. The two underlying elements have always been sort of an open source notion” that incorporates sharing knowledge and skills, mentoring and teaching “as much as it has been about making stuff.”
Sears agrees, saying, “when you put people with different backgrounds, skills, and interests in the same room, and give them the tools to make things, their ideas and strengths collide, resulting in outcomes that likely couldn’t have happened any other way.”
The potential of that kind of collaborative inspiration formed the basis of a funding proposal submitted by Acadia’s Executive Director of Philanthropy and Campaign Director Nancy Handrigan (’92) to the Windsor Foundation in 2016 and the R. Howard Webster Foundation in 2017. The combined generosity of the two Foundations produced funding of $800,000 over five years, which has allowed Weatherbee and Sears the opportunity to plan ahead and do a staged build.
Inter-related audiences Raymond House underwent significant and specific renovation in 2019 to ensure it would meet the needs of three inter-related audiences: students as academic learners; students as community members; and the broader community. The goal is to provide opportunities for each group and their ideas to collide and cross-pollinate, proving the sum greater than the parts. The hope is to open the facility as a space for students this fall, contingent on campus COVID-19 protocols, and to offer a makerspace course this winter in addition to regular time slots during the week to accommodate students, faculty and community members.
Student Joe Woytiuk (’21) in Steamspace.
Looking back, “the importance of the initial $5,000 from Kevin Mullen went well beyond the $5,000 itself,” Weatherbee says. “It wasn’t just the money, but the potential it opened up, and that’s the important part of gifts: what they enable.”
Associate Professor Dr. Donna Sears.
Handrigan agrees, and thanked the R. Howard Webster Foundation and The Windsor Foundation for their support. “These two foundations have a long history with Acadia University, for which we are incredibly grateful. Everything they have given over the decades has had a direct impact on students, from renovated buildings to field schools to research awards. Both prioritize innovative and inspiring projects for the benefit of Canadian society, so Steamspace spoke to their missions.”
Weatherbee added that the two Foundation gifts have provided a structure within which a lot can happen. “Steamspace has it all. If you want to give to high-tech, you can do that. If you want to give to students, you can do that. If you want to give to the community, you can do that, too.”
“In that sense,” Sears notes, “making is just a vehicle for creativity and innovation,” all in a collaborative space that offers 3-D printing, laser-cutting technology, sound equipment, and the potential for virtual reality, to name a few. It’s a one-stop shop for the imagination, and the sky’s the limit!
For more on Steamspace, please contact Dr. Terrance Weatherbee (terrance.weatherbee@acadiau.ca) or Dr. Donna Sears (donna.sears@acadiau.ca).
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA BUILD
Building toward a bright future
Donors drive campus infrastructure renewal, providing innovative learning spaces and new facilities
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
Faye and David Huestis (’63, ’18 HON) in front of the David Huestis Innovation Pavilion.
THE PHYSICAL BEAUTY OF ACADIA’S CAMPUS is astonishing, always making a great first impression and leaving a lasting impact that extends well beyond graduation day. It represents the University’s rich heritage, exemplified by University Hall, Seminary House, the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, and offers an enticing look into the future by combining historic buildings and cutting-edge technology that appeals to students, researchers and visitors alike.
Donors play a vital role in the ongoing evolution of Acadia’s infrastructure. Campus renewal and beautification are made possible largely through generous private and public support, and Campaign for Acadia has prioritized projects that will develop the physical and financial resources needed to ensure a transformative student experience now and for generations to come. The benefits of such investment are obvious and noteworthy, and there is much to celebrate. Strategic upgrades In November 2013, the Wu family of Hong Kong provided Acadia with a gift of $1.5 million to construct the Wu Welcome Centre at Alumni Hall. The gift was a tribute to Hong Kong businessman Dr. Jieh Yee Wu from his children, Acadia graduates Lily (1963), Doris (1964), and Timothy (1966). Lily’s husband, Dr. Andre Lau (1961), is also an Acadia alumnus.
Also in November 2013, Acadia announced that its arena would be renamed the Andrew H. McCain Arena in recognition of a $1-million gift to the University from Mr. McCain’s children, Nancy (’82), Stephen (’81), Margie (’77), Allison, Kathy, and Linda. Renovations to the existing building improved heating and ventilation and upgraded lighting, sound and video. In addition, dramatic improvements were made to the Acadia Athletics Complex entrance and visitor lobby, and the arena became the only Annapolis Valley facility to feature an indoor 250-metre running track.
Acadia strengthened its role as a regional centre for sports excellence in 2014, thanks to a $1 million gift from The Stevens Family Foundation honouring Laurie Stevens (’55), honorary degree recipient and former member of Acadia’s Board of Governors and the many close ties between the Stevens family and Acadia. With the generous participation of numerous other donors – Acadia friends and alumni from 1947 to 2017 – the Stevens Centre, part of Acadia’s Athletics Complex, now provides varsity athletes and visiting regional, provincial and national sports teams and individuals with a training environment equal to those that are currently only available in Halifax. Several members of the Foundation are Acadia graduates: Marilyn Stevens (’55), Wendy Himmelman (’79, ‘80), Thane Stevens (’80), Foundation Chair Janette Fiander (’82), Scott Stevens (’86), Samantha Krauch (’09, ’10), and Tracey Tulloch (’91).
In 2015, Patterson Hall became the new home of Acadia’s Manning School of Business, thanks to the support of alumni and friends who contributed to an ambitious building renovation. A total of 46 individuals committed nearly $2.5 million to finance the dramatic overhaul of the building. Addressing donors at a special reception to mark the opening of the renovated space, Vice-President, Advancement Dr. Rod Morrison applauded those who had rallied behind the fundraising effort, beginning with Chancellor Bruce Galloway (’68, ‘03), the volunteer leader of (and first donor to) the “Twenty Wing” campaign, which targeted 20 gifts of $100,000 to complete the building. There was a parallel and complementary effort to secure additional gifts to name individual rooms in Patterson Hall, and Morrison noted at the time that the “successful completion of this project is a boon not only to our current students, but to prospective business students who are considering Acadia.”
Strategic campus renewal has continued apace as the Campaign has unfolded. In September 2016, the Science Complex renewal project was announced, which included a comprehensive renovation of Elliott Hall, a new exterior for Huggins Hall, and the addition of an Innovation Pavilion to connect them. The challenge, however, was to develop a comprehensive proposal in an extremely short period of time and raise $6.3 million in private support to secure nearly $16 million in government investment. In typical fashion, Acadia’s alumni and friends stepped up to the plate and provided the funds necessary to secure the investment.
The Innovation Pavilion now offers research and commercialization space that is well beyond Acadia’s previous capacity, and is named in honour of David Huestis (’63) of Saint John, New Brunswick in recognition of the generous support of David and his wife, Faye. The David Huestis Innovation Pavilion has four new teaching labs, enhancing Acadia’s scientific infrastructure and facilitating academic program growth.
“When we called on our alumni and friends, their generous response was hugely gratifying,” Morrison said. “Consider the McCain family – represented in this case by Penny and Stephen McCain (’81), Margaret McCain (’77, ’79) and Paul Roy – who made generous gifts to the science complex renewal project. Their steadfast support for Acadia was a critical factor in the success of the project.” Other long-time supporters of Acadia rallied to the cause, including Gordon (’48) and Bobby (’50) MacNeill, David Davidson (’71, ’74), Cynthia Trudell (’74), Acadia’s former President, Dr. Kelvin Ogilvie (’63, ’64), Floyd Murphy (’69), and many others, some of them first-time donors.
Generous gifts Marking the 50th anniversary of the War Memorial Gymnasium addition, the basketball court was dedicated in 2016 to former Axemen basketball coaching great Stu Aberdeen. The court was upgraded with the addition of new state-of-the-art seating donated by several court sport alumni and friends.
In 2017, thanks to a generous gift from Acadia University’s Class of 1951, an updated Family Change Room at the Athletics Complex was completed to serve members of the Acadia and surrounding community. Located by the pool, this change room is fully accessible and particularly enjoyed by Acadia’s S.M.I.L.E. program participants. The project was funded through the Class’s Jubilee Fund. Further enhancing accessibility for S.M.I.L.E., Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program granted $500,000 for ramps, an elevator, and an accessible washroom in 2019.
Finally, plans are in the works to reimagine the Students’ Union Building as a fully accessibly campus hub, hosting the new Centre for Student Success, a one-stop resource for services, people and programs that promote strength, resiliency and academic achievement.
“When we called on our alumni and friends, their generous response was hugely gratifying. Their steadfast support for Acadia was a critical factor in the success of
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA DISCOVER
Wonderful tribute
A generous gift to Vaughan Memorial Library sustains a legacy, ensures ongoing innovation at Acadia
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
MORE THAN EIGHTY YEARS AGO, loyal friends and loving family established a memorial and later a trust in memory of Robert Wylie Ward (’32) that is as relevant and valuable today as it was when it was inaugurated during Acadia’s centennial in 1938.
Initiated by his friends in the biology department as a memorial after his untimely death due to tuberculosis in March 1936 at the age of 32, the Robert Wylie Ward Memorial was later endowed by an estate gift of $5,000 from Edna (Ward) Eisner in 1974. The University was given discretion to add biology books to the Ward collection in the Vaughan Memorial Library for the benefit of all biology students. Each volume contains a book plate bearing the name of the donor or donors.
Robert Wylie Ward – Bob to his friends – was a dedicated student and brilliant researcher who graduated from Acadia with a certificate in engineering in 1924 and a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1932. He later earned an MA from Harvard in 1933 and continued to work and study there, maintaining however a strong connection with the experimental farm in Kentville. During the 12 years (1920-1932) of his off and on Acadia education because of illness, he taught school in the Valley to earn money to go to Acadia.
The Eisner family sustains the fund to honour the memory of their mother and uncle while providing a benefit to Acadia. Robert Eisner says, “our mother loved her brother. She was the youngest in the family of four children, with three older brothers. After providing for her own family of six children, she wanted to benefit the University and celebrate her brother’s passion for research. It is a way for our family to honour our mother by participating in this fund. Adding to her 1974 endowment, which provides income to the 1938 Robert Wylie Ward Memorial and hence to the biology department, feels like the gift that keeps on giving.”
Robert Wylie Ward (’24, ’32).
Robert Eisner (’69), nephew of Robert Wylie Ward
Interim University Librarian Jennifer Richard notes, “this is a valuable and well-used collection. As our operating acquisitions budget is completely used up on electronic materials such as databases and journal packages, we very much appreciate endowments as these funds allow us to buy print and electronic monographs and videos which we would otherwise not be able to purchase.”
Why are gifts like this so important and meaningful? Robert Eisner says, “contribution in any form is important. The original donation to the Robert Wylie Ward Memorial was a gift in kind: books and personal papers of Robert Wylie Ward. In previous years I contributed to Acadia by being on the Advisory Board of the School of Business (providing the gift of time). Now I give a yearly donation from my investment portfolio. The value to the family is personally seeing the cumulative effect of our participation in the Robert Wylie Ward Collection. Each year it grows by our participation and, in each donation, we honour the memory of our mother and uncle.”
Various members of the Eisner family have indicated that they will make a provision in their wills for a donation to the University, ensuring the ongoing promotion of discovery and innovation through generous support for Acadia’s student and faculty researchers for years to come.
Robert Wylie Ward’s friends and contemporaries
Mary MacArthur, BScH Acadia 1933; MA Radcliffe College/Harvard 1934; PhD Harvard 1937 First woman to be named a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada.
Keith R. Porter, BSc Acadia 1934; MA Harvard 1935; PhD Harvard 1938; DSc Acadia 1964; DSc University of Western Ontario 1983; DSc McGill 1984 He was known as ‘Father of Cell Biology’.
E. Chalmers Smith, BSc Acadia 1936; MA Harvard 1939; PhD Harvard 1942; DSc Acadia 1976 The Herbarium at Acadia was renamed the E.C. Smith Herbarium in 1975.
Mary Roscoe Vestal, BA Acadia 1931; MA University of Toronto 1933
The living siblings of the Eisner family (left to right): Darrell (’65) , Robert (’69 ), Neva, Douglas (‘52), and Richard.
CAMPAIGN for ACADIA
By Rachel Cooper (‘89)
Terry Hennigar (’65) and his wife Heather with University President Dr. Peter Ricketts.
Gifts that will sustain Acadia for generations to come
IN NOVEMBER 2019, members of Acadia’s 1838 Society were honoured at an afternoon tea in the Wu Welcome
Centre at Alumni Hall, hosted by University President Dr. Peter Ricketts. The 1838 Society recognizes donors who have notified Acadia of their intention to leave an estate gift to the University.
Three of those estate gifts were made by Terry Hennigar (’65) and his wife, Heather; Kim Meechan (’80, ’81, ’84); and Shih Fang (Dino) Ng (’01). All are at different points in their lives and careers, but all have a common goal: to sustain Acadia in the future. Honouring a beloved daughter Hennigar (’65) and Heather wanted to honour their daughter, Crystal, who passed away from cancer in 2014. Crystal had been a dedicated hockey mom to her two boys, Michael and Adam, and Terry had been a member of Acadia’s varsity men’s hockey team in the 1960s. Michael (’17, ’18) joined the hockey program in 2013.
The Hennigars set up the Crystal Hennigar Memorial Award in 2014 for the hockey program and funded it for five years. Now they have created bequests in their wills to fund two awards in perpetuity. One will renew the hockey award and an equivalent sum will fund an engineering/geoscience award.
Crystal’s younger son, Adam, graduated with a BSc in environmental geoscience in 2018. “We are very proud of Michael and Adam, and we thought there should be a scholarship to support geoscience and engineering students as well as hockey players,” Hennigar says.
Such awards are crucial for the hockey program, says Darren Burns (’95), head coach of the Acadia Axemen hockey team. “The Crystal Hennigar Award is particularly special because of Crystal’s dedication to supporting minor hockey and because her son Michael
played hockey here,” he says.
Creating a legacy of loyalty
Meechan (’80, ’81, ’84) spent her career caring for the vulnerable in
society. With three Acadia degrees in
Kim Meechan (’80, ’81, ’84)
psychology (BA, BAH and MSc), she first worked as a psychologist for the Saskatchewan provincial government, counselling children and families. Then, in Ottawa, her work ranged from being a frontline worker with the Children’s Aid Society to coordinating a city-wide Housing Loss Prevention Network.
Several years ago, Meechan established a bequest to Acadia in her will. “I have fond memories of Acadia and a loyalty that is very solid,” she says. “The campus and the faculty are what made it unique.”
Now retired and back in Nova Scotia, she has established the Kimberly Meechan Bursary of $1,000 annually for Acadia students in financial need from Moncton, New Brunswick, with preference for those who attended her old school, Harrison Trimble High School.
Kim encourages people to think about the ways they can make a difference. “If they donate to different charities here and there, I’d like them to think about what they could do if they made it significant to their alma mater and to a cause that’s dear to them,” she says. Making the ultimate gift
A sense of adventure may have drawn Shih Fang (Dino) Ng (’01) from his home city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to study in Canada, but he chose Acadia for two practical reasons. First, Shih Fang (Dino) Ng (’01) Acadia offered a Bachelor of Computer Science with a twinning program at Sedaya College (now UCSI University), Malaysia. Second, it offered the Acadia Advantage. “Each student was given a personal laptop, and the way the school taught and students learned was so unique,” he says.
Today, Ng is Executive Director and Group Chief Technology Officer of Revenue Group of Companies, specializing in e-commerce payment platforms. Although he is back in Kuala Lumpur, he has never forgotten Acadia.
“There are many sweet memories: staying with friends from different backgrounds and cultures, sharing laughter and stories of our on-campus life,” he says.
In 2015, he established the Ng Scholar-Bursary in Computer Science at Acadia. He has notified Acadia that he intends to leave $100,000 for the scholar-bursary through his estate.
The generous foresight of alumni such as Terry Hennigar, Kim Meechan and Shih Fang (Dino) Ng will ensure that Acadia continues to build on the strong foundation laid by the Campaign for Acadia.
Shih Fang (Dino) Ng (’01)
