Volume 96, Issue 21
Thursday October 3, 2002
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Making music, dropping coin
By Chris
Webden
Gazette Staff
Move over music faculty and make way for the new and improved Don Wright faculty of music.
Thanks to a donation of $3 million to Western's faculty of music, the faculty has been renamed to bear the name of the donor, Western alumnus Don Wright.
"We are so honoured that Don Wright has chosen our faculty for this most generous donation," said Robert Wood, dean of the faculty of music, adding the funds will be used to support the faculty's highest priority needs such as faculty positions, student awards, building renovations and performance equipment.
Wright, who graduated from Western's faculty of music with an honours bachelor of arts in 1933, praised Western for giving him his start in what became a lifelong career in music.
"It is amazing to realize that I started here and all the developments that started here are what have made me what I am today," Wright said.
When asked what he thought the faculty could do with the money, Wright suggested they loosen up a little.
"Now that [the faculty] has the money, they can do what the kids want to do," Wright said, adding ensuring students are having fun is more important than ensuring they are doing well.
The official announcement of the donation came yesterday at a presentation held in von Kuster Hall in the Music Building. The ceremony included a speech by Western President Paul Davenport, who said Wright's philanthropy has touched the lives of not only members of the faculty of music, but the entire Western community.
"Don's support and the support of other alumni will help maintain our faculty of music as one of the leaders in North America," Davenport said.
"He has had an impressive career and it is pretty great to see that someone from this faculty was able to do so much," said Graeme Francis, a fourth-year music student.
"I found the event today one of the most inspiring that I have ever been involved in [during] my university career," Davenport said, adding the enthusiasm of the 94-year-old Wright was truly amazing.