Honorary degree recipient donates 2M
Author: Communications
Posted on May 19, 2011
Category: UNB Fredericton
Honorary degree recipient Graham Farquharson surprised the University of New Brunswick community with a $2-million donation Wednesday during the university's 182nd convocation.
The donation will be split into four parts.
The geology department, faculty of science, faculty of nursing and the university as a whole will each receive $500,000.
Farquharson, who addressed students after receiving his degree, drew on his experiences instead of giving advice to the 280 undergraduate, master's and doctorate students in attendance.
He said great achievements are possible through hard work.
"You're university graduates now, you've been trained to think for yourselves," he said.
Read the full story at the Daily Gleaner.
"You come from a special part of Canada, the best country in the world, and many of you have the wonderful advantage of being able to be comfortable in both of our official languages."
Farquharson, an engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who received an honorary science degree at the first of four graduation ceremonies this week, attended the university for three years in the 1970s before finishing his studies at the University of Alberta.
"This really is a surprise," university president Eddy Campbell said following the $2-million announcement.