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Book by former UNB president James Downey to be launched May 15

Author: Communications

Posted on May 7, 2012

Category: UNB Fredericton

Lord Beaverbrook and the Kennedys, written by former UNB president James Downey, will be officially launched on Tuesday, May 15, at 4:00 p.m., in Memorial Hall at UNB Fredericton. 

Dr. Downey has long been interested in the connection between Lord Beaverbrook, UNB’s greatest 20th century benefactor, and the Kennedy family, starting with Beaverbrook’s contemporary on the world stage, Joseph Kennedy, and extending to his sons, John and Robert, both of whom received honorary degrees from UNB. 

UNB is proud to publish Dr. Downey’s thoughtful and well-researched exploration of the complex Beaverbrook-Kennedy relationship which unfolded between the two World Wars.  Lord Beaverbrook’s chancellorship of UNB from1947 to his death in 1964 was influential in bringing ‘Jack’ and ‘Bobby’ to Fredericton at critical points in their careers to be honoured by the university.  The Convocation address each of them made, in 1957 and 1967 respectively, is reproduced in full, with commentary by Dr. Downey, an English scholar by education, on the significance of their messages and the quality of their “rhetorical eloquence.”

Books will go on sale at the UNB Bookstores on May 16. 

For more information contact Susan Montague, Development and Donor Relations, at: montague@unb.ca or 506-452-6180.  

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