Although the George Morris Centre has closed,
the memory of the late George Morris will live on at the University of Guelph.
The Centre has donated $450,000 to the
university for food policy research and a $10,000 annual scholarship.
Morris donated $1 million to start the centre as
Canada’s first independent think tank. Larry Martin conducted the first
research, recruited the staff and generated the vision for many programs and
services.
Morris was born in Alberta, but spent most of
his life farming near Merlin, Ontario.
He was one of the original members of
the Ontario Grain Council, a founding member of the Ontario Beef Improvement Association
and served as president in 1965.
He was also president of the Canadian
Cattlemen's Association from 1972-1974, during which time he introduced a
balanced grading system that is the basis for the industry today.
Morris was a self-made man and by age
35 achieved the status of millionaire, quite an achievement in 1945! He
died in 1999.
The gift, in accordance with the wishes of the
late George Morris, will fund the George Morris Agriculture and Food Policy
Research Grant and the set up of the George Morris Graduate Student
Scholarship.
The $450,000 will fund the George Morris
Agriculture and Food Policy Research Grant and the set up of the George Morris
Graduate Student Scholarship.
The gift was celebrated Tuesday at a reception
held at the University of Guelph.
In June 2014 the George Morris Centre (GMC), an
agri-food think tank, announced it would dissolve at the end of 2014 and
transfer its net assets as a gift to the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) of
the U of G.
“We were determined that the vision George
had for independent analysis of agri-food policy would be sustained,” said Bob
Funk, George Morris Centre board chair.
“We are
gratified with the respectful response of the University to the concepts we
presented for the use of the funds. GMC board members are now considering ways
in which the fund may even be augmented.”
Bob Hunsburger, who was a friend of George
Morris and the treasurer of the board, added, “George would be so pleased with
these actions taken in his memory”.
The new research grant will support a visiting
researcher to spend one to two weeks in the University’s Department of Food,
Agricultural and Resource Economics to work on research relevant to Ontario or
Canadian agricultural policy issues.
The George Morris Graduate Student Scholarship
of $10,000 will be available to PhD or M.Sc. students in the Department of
Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics interested in policy related
research.
“George Morris was a visionary farmer and
long-time friend of the University of Guelph. We are very thankful and pleased
to help continue his legacy through research efforts and scholarships,” said
Rob Gordon, dean of the OAC.
From 1990 through 1998, the George Morris Centre
operated as a department of the U of G. In 1998, the Centre was registered as a
non-profit charitable corporation.
