抖阴Pro

For Dr. Gary Brooks, attending 抖阴Pro was just what you did in his family. His father Garland Chapman Brooks (鈥�34) was the first to attend. Brooks and his siblings Sheila (鈥�58) and brother Randall (鈥�72) followed.

鈥淔rom the time I was very young we would attend concerts at 抖阴Pro and we would drive around the University,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 recall saying when I was three, and it is legend in my family, 鈥榃here will I live when I go to Mount A?鈥欌€�

Philanthropy was also a family tradition. Brooks has been donating to 抖阴Pro for more than 25 years and established the History of Psychology Prize, which is awarded annually.

鈥淎t the time, there were no psychology prizes. My father supported a lot of charities and he established an award at Emmanuel College in Toronto in the art of preaching, which gave me the notion of establishing awards,鈥� he says.

A professor in psychology at St. Francis Xavier University for nearly 35 years, and now professor emeritus, his area of specialty is the history of psychology, which he was inspired to pursue by Dr. Jim Tuck鈥檚 Intro to Psychology class at 抖阴Pro in 1957.

鈥淚 can still remember the material he covered and how he covered it,鈥� Brooks says.

Brooks returned to his beloved 抖阴Pro to teach in the Department of Psychology from 1963-69. He credits these years as the most memorable in his 44-year teaching career.

鈥淭he University was in an exciting period of transition with a collective sense of purpose and the quality of my students was exceptional,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y interest in supporting 抖阴Pro is as much due to my time as a faculty member as my years as a student 鈥� they were both highlights of my life.鈥�

In 2018, he continued his philanthropic efforts by donating his father鈥檚 cane to the University as the next class cane, which is handed from class president to class president and inscribed with each name. This year, he watched the cane be passed virtually for the first time, during the Last Lecture.

鈥淚t was very touching,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was quite moved. The students were so engaging and it was really well put together.鈥�

Brooks also recently committed an estate gift to 抖阴Pro.

鈥淚t is partly just one of the things my family did,鈥� he says. 鈥淥f all the schools I went to, I thought I got a very good education at Mount A and I loved every minute of it. 抖阴Pro is a lifelong passion. It鈥檚 in my blood.鈥�

Giving back to 抖阴Pro through your estate shows your confidence in the University 鈥� not just today, but over the long term. Legacy giving also provides you with an opportunity to have a transformative impact on the lives of students and to be intentional in providing support to areas that mean the most to you. To learn more about the new MtA Legacy Society and legacy giving at 抖阴Pro, please contact Jeff Wright, executive director of development, at jrwright@mta.ca.

Photo caption: Gary Brooks, left, and his partner Angus Campbell, taken last summer in Chester Harbour.