Impact of Giving

When Kenneth N. Windsor died in 1979, he was only 46 years old and at the top of his game. Now, a new memorial graduate fellowship is ensuring that his name and memory will continue to live in connection with leading-edge historical research.

A charismatic historian from Ontario, Kenneth Windsor joined UNB in 1966 and became one of the most popular members of UNB’s faculty of arts. He was a co-founder of Acadiensis: Journal of the History of the Atlantic Region, which is still being published today; a scholarly contributor to national textbooks on the subject of Canadian historical writing; and a well-respected don of Harrison House. His family, colleagues and students made sure he would be remembered through the creation of the Windsor Memorial Library and Ken Windsor Memorial Scholarship for undergraduates.

The $20,000 Ken Windsor Graduate Fellowship in History extends his legacy to the graduate students who will become Canada’s future historians. It has been made possible through a gift of $500,000 from Loretta Windsor, Ken Windsor’s sister-in-law.

“Ken Windsor succeeded in placing the study of Atlantic Canada’s history on a firm foundation,” Dr. Paul J. Mazerolle, president and vice chancellor at UNB, says. “We are deeply grateful for this generous memorial to him, which will encourage and reward good scholarship.”

“Ken had a deep interest in how Canadians represent their history to future generations and a boundless enthusiasm for the work of graduate students,” Loretta Windsor said. “I believe one of the best ways we can honour his memory is to ensure that graduate students can continue to study history here, at the university he loved.”

The first student to be awarded the fellowship, Kelsey James, says the award is already making a difference.

“As a mother to three young children, ages six, three, and four months, the decision to pursue a Masters degree was an intimidating one, but something I am extremely passionate about. The Ken Windsor Graduate Fellowship helps to provide some peace of mind so that I can focus on the important things, like my family and my studies,” Kelsey James says.

Photo captions: 1) Kelsey James, Windsor Fellow; 2) Kenneth N. Windsor