Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
June 08, 2000
Heritage theme of U of G Alumni Weekend
The University of Guelph will hold its annual Alumni Weekend June 16 to 18, with highlights including a President's Luncheon to honour three alumni who have made personal contributions to the preservation and respect of U of G's heritage.
Lawrence Kerr, BSA '29, a member of the University's founding Board of Governors, will be named Alumnus of Honour at a noon luncheon hosted by President Mordechai Rozanski. The event will also recognize Ann Smith, BSA' 52, the woman who first envisioned Alumni House. These awards are presented by the U of G Alumni Association. In addition, veterinary educator Joan Budd, DVM '50, will be honoured by the OVC Alumni Association as OVC Distinguished Alumnus.
Kerr, a 1929 OAC graduated, played a leadership role in Ontario agriculture and in the formation and development of U of G. He served as a member of the OAC Advisory Committee; was a charter director of the OAC Alumni Foundation; vice-chair of the Board of Regents of the Federated Colleges; and was later a member of U of G's Board of Governors. He was named a Fellow of the University in 1973 and received an OAC Centennial Medal in 1974. He started a farm in Chatham in 1934, which has grown from 142 acres to more than 1,500. It remains a model of good husbandry practices, producing seed crops in combination with livestock production and many acres of vegetables and fruit for both processing and retail sale through a farm-based market.
Smith is being recognized for mobilizing alumni and University staff to find a way to restore the conservatory greenhouse. She enlisted her OAC '52 classmates to renovate the reflecting pool and garden that front the Arboretum Centre. It was also her vision that turned an OAC sheep barn into a permanent campus ho for alumni at Alumni House. She also helped raise $55,000 fro two tree-planting projects and organized and promoted the children's theatre program for more than four years. She was also one of the first female graduates of OAC's food science program and spent 32 years of her career as a science teacher in Guelph.
Budd is a wildlife pathologist and associate professor in OVC and was one of the researchers who pioneered techniques to attenuate the canine distemper virus through growth in eggs, thus ensuring safe vaccination. She was also a founder of OVC's programs in wildlife and fish diseases and served as a member of the Mammalian and Avian Pest Management Committee with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Her contributions were recognized by receipt of a distinguished service award from the Wildlife Disease Association.
Other Alumni Weekend highlights include educational seminars, the unveiling of commemorative artwork recognizing the Macdonald Institute, a barbecue, alumni association annual meetings, a dedication in the conservatory gardens, golden and silver anniversary dinners, class reunions, tours and open house events across campus.
The educational seminars will be held Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. in the MacKinnon Building. They will offer alumni an opportunity to learn about food research at U of G. Concurrent sessions will feature Prof. Rickey Yada, chair of the Department of Food Science, on making a better potato chip; Prof. David Evans, chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, on genetically modified organisms; and Prof. Doug Goff, Food Science, on the science involved in making ice cream.
The traditional welcome barbecue with U of G administrators and staff serving as chefs will take place Friday evening after the seminar series. A hot air balloon will lift off Johnston Green at 7 p.m., weather permitting
Saturday at 10:30 a.m., the College of Social and Applied Human Science will unveil a commemorative piece of artwork celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Macdonald Institute. The work by artist Lori Newdick is a photographic depiction of life at the Macdonald Institute over a period of several decades. The work was a gift commissioned by the Class of 1949, and Newdick's work was selected amongst nine projects submitted by fine art graduate students.
At 3 p.m. that afternoon, U of G's Alumni Association will hold its annual meeting, followed by a donor appreciation event at the Rutherford Conservatory and Gardens. A floral urn purchased by the OAC, Mac-FACS and OVC alumni associations will be unveiled at the centre of the garden.
Saturday there will also be an ecumenical service in War Memorial Hall at 9 a.m. and a farewell breakfast on Johnston Green. These and most other events are open to members of the campus community; advance tickets are required for meals. For additional information, contact Alumni House at 824-4120, Ext. 6544.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 3338.
