Hero of the humanities

Regina resident bequeaths million-dollar gift for arts students

Iryn Tushabe
News Writer

Earlier this year, the University of Regina received a generous donation from William Borden Ingram, a former resident of Regina who passed away in 2007.

This is the largest estate gift in the history of the University. It will go toward the original William Borden Ingram Award, which he established in 1996.

“Through this bountiful gift, Mr. Ingram has created an award that for decades to come will support students as they prepare to become leaders in their communities,” said University of Regina President Vianne Timmons in a press release on Oct. 21.

So far, 17 students have benefited from Ingram’s original award and according to Adrienne Nolan, the University’s assistant vice president of donor relations, two arts students will be awarded $5,750 a year for four years, which totals $23,000 for their entire four-year program.

“I am inspired by the spirit in which Mr. Ingram chose to create this award. In supporting any arts student, he made it possible for students to pursue their passion in fields of liberal arts study such as anthropology, English, history, or philosophy. It demonstrates to me a commitment to the value of an education and an understanding that study enhances a person’s life. I am proud that Mr. Ingram chose to create his legacy at the University of Regina,” said Nolan.

The first recipients for Ingram’s new award will be chosen for the fall semester of 2010. Eligible applicants will be undergraduate arts students with an 85 per cent high school G.P.A, and must be able to maintain a minimum average of 75 per cent to receive the award each year of their four-year degree program.

“Since it is a four-year award, the typical applicant will be applying for first year studies,” explained Nolan.

According to the University, Ingram was a strong supporter of the liberal arts, which is why he decided that his awards benefit students in the faculty of arts. Raised in Wolseley, Ingram completed his degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 1930 and, after serving in the Second World War, worked as an accountant at the Consumers’ Co-operative Refineries Limited in Regina for years until his retirement.

Because his studies were interrupted due to financial difficulties, he did not want the same thing to happen to other students.
Ingram, who passed away in 2007, believed the purpose of education was to increase the enjoyment of life.

“This is wonderful news for the faculty of arts,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Richard Kleer. “Students who are under pressure to choose majors that offer a conventional route into the professions may be liberated by the Ingram Award which enables them to pursue their passion for fascinating fields of study.”

“This award has allowed me to attend university and follow my dreams of becoming a police officer,” said Megan Jalbert, a third year police studies student who is one of the recipients of the Ingram Award. She added she is able to focus on her studies without having to worry about working at the same time.

Further information and application deadlines for the William Borden Ingram Award can be found here.