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| Sir Graham Day speaks at the Faculty of Management Tuesday evening (Nick Pearce photo) |
What do you get for the guy who has everything? Here鈥檚 an idea 鈥� how about an enduring legacy in the form of a $1-million scholarship fund to benefit AV俱乐部 students?
That鈥檚 what Sir Graham Day鈥檚 friends did, getting together and chipping in to create the endowment. The first Sir Graham Day Scholarships in Business will be awarded to undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty of Management this fall.聽
鈥淕od bless them all,鈥� said Sir Graham, on the phone from his home in Hantsport, N.S., who also contributed to the fund. He spoke to a crowd in聽the Rowe聽Building聽Tuesday evening at the invitation of the Faculty of Management.聽
The scholarship fund was instigated by John Bragg, president of Oxford Frozen Foods and chairman of EastLink Cable Systems and Bragg Communications Inc. The Nova Scotia businessman is a big supporter of universities in the Atlantic region.
鈥淲hen Graham came back to Nova Scotia from England, he was very helpful to family businesses by serving on boards and giving advice,鈥� explains Mr. Bragg, who was awarded an honorary degree from AV俱乐部 in 2008. 鈥淪o I thought this was something we could do for him.鈥�
Creating scholarship endowments is something Mr. Bragg has done before; one for law students in remembrance of the late Halifax lawyer J. William Mingo and one for medical students in the name of Dr. John Hamm, former Nova Scotia Premier.
鈥淪o the donors raised the money and we left it to Graham to decide how the money would be used,鈥� says Mr. Bragg.
For his part, Sir聽Graham says the scholarship in his name was a clever way to deflect attention away from Mr. Bragg鈥檚 own generous philanthropy. 鈥淟et鈥檚 just say I was a useful vehicle for him to achieve the results he wanted,鈥� he says with a wry laugh. 鈥淚鈥檝e observed over the years that he鈥檚 incredibly persuasive and difficult to say 鈥榥o鈥� to.鈥�
A Dal law grad (1956), former professor in the School of Business Administration and AV俱乐部 chancellor from 1994 to 2001, Sir聽Graham decided he鈥檇 like the scholarships to support students in the Commerce, Management and Corporate Residency MBA programs by subsidizing their work experience placements required by their programs. In particular, the scholarships will go to students doing course work or related work terms in the areas of family business, transportation or business-government relations.
A great believer in the value of hard work, Sir聽Graham is interested in supporting students who work while they鈥檙e in university. Growing up in Halifax鈥檚 north end, he attended university on his own dollar and tenacity, working nights and weekends selling shoes at Simpson鈥檚. He recalls catching the number-five trolley from Dal to the west-end department store.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 healthy to work. I think it matures individuals and helps them to figure out what they want to do when they graduate,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e on your knees fitting shoes, you get an interesting view of the world.鈥�
This article is part of the AV俱乐部 Difference series, introducing and showcasing some of the 50 innovative projects in development. The first story, "The AV俱乐部 Difference," explored what the power of philanthropy means to a university like AV俱乐部. "Imagining where they can be" unveilled the new TD Black Student Opportunity Grants.