McLeod family contribution a boost for College Avenue Campus
Posted: June 2, 2016 6:00 a.m.
(l-r) Greg Swanson, Chair, South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Christina Attard, Executive Director, South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Children of Dr. Derril McLeod; Malcolm McLeod, Heather Dufault, Betty Mcleod-Millar; and Dr. Vianne Timmons. U of R Photography
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The family of former University Chancellor Dr. Derril McLeod has been recognized for its ongoing support of the University of Regina.
The Derril McLeod Family Foundation at the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation has contributed more than $340,000 to the University of Regina.
Their most recent contributions were in support of the University’s College Avenue Renewal Project totalling more than $241,000. In 2009 the Derril McLeod Family Foundation also established the Dr. Derril McLeod Environmental Systems Scholarship which to date has assisted six engineering students.
McLeod’s son, Malcolm, says this is something his father would have wanted.
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| Dr. Derril McLeod served as Chancellor from 1983 to 1989. (U of R Archives) |
“My father saw the University of Regina grow from a campus of the University of Saskatchewan to what it is today, a great institution,” says McLeod. “My father was really proud of the University of Regina.”
Dr. McLeod graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Saskatchewan in 1946 and went on to a distinguished legal career in Regina. He was a great supporter of Saskatchewan’s universities and served on the Board at the University of Saskatchewan and was the Vice-Chair from 1971 to 1974.
Dr. McLeod was one of the leaders who helped lay the foundation for the University of Regina to become an autonomous institution in 1974. Dr. McLeod became the first Chair of the University of Regina’s Board of Governors and was held in such high regard he was elected Chancellor. He held that position from 1983 to 1989. In 1990, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree. He died in 2007 at the age of 83.
“As our founding Board Chair, Dr. Derril McLeod was instrumental in leading the way for our University to become an autonomous institution in 1974,” says University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Vianne Timmons. “He was a true believer in education, and someone who showed immense foresight and leadership at a critical time in the history of our University. We are so grateful for his many and lasting contributions.”
“[My father] was creative and intelligent in the way he went about doing things. He wouldn’t make a big splash about it, but things got done,” says McLeod, an alumnus whose family continues to have strong ties to the campus community.
“The College Avenue Campus is an essential piece of Regina. From that point of view it has huge value to the city,” says McLeod. “It is used by a lot of people, from music lessons for kids to continuing education for seniors, shows at Darke Hall, classes, offices and much more. The whole idea of people being involved in the University throughout their lives is appealing and strengthens the ties between the University and the community. This is all something my father supported – and the reason the Derril McLeod Family Foundation supported the renewal project.”
The Derril McLeod Family Foundation is held at the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation. The organization has been connecting donors to community needs and opportunities since 1969. For more information, visit here.
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