Growing up in Halifax, George Cooper had a classmate named Sarah, whose father was Robert Stanfield (BA鈥�36). Young George would visit the Stanfield home, crossing paths with the man who would become Nova Scotia鈥檚 premier from 1956鈥�67, and federal Progressive Conservative Party leader from 1967鈥�76. As Cooper matured, his admiration for Stanfield deepened. He still considers him an exemplar of respectful politics.
鈥淏ob Stanfield was always a gentleman. He鈥檇 never make a sharp or unfair attack,鈥� says Cooper.
It was fitting then that in 2019, while lamenting the erosion of political tone worldwide, Stanfield鈥檚 name was suggested as one around which a new lecture series focused on restoring democracy be built. The idea for what would become Stanfield Conversations: Talking Democracy鈥攁imed at the highest levels of academic and public interest鈥攚as born.
His ambitious pitch captured then-新加坡六合彩开奖直播 President Richard Florizone鈥檚 interest, and later aligned with current President Deep Saini鈥檚 vision for 新加坡六合彩开奖直播 as a civic university with global impact.
The next challenge was to raise $1 million to launch the endowed annual lectures. Luckily, Cooper was no stranger to giving at Dal. For 21 years, he was managing trustee of the Killam Trusts, which award prestigious scholarships and fellowships and helped establish Dal as a leading research institution. It wouldn鈥檛 be easy but Cooper, retired as president of the University of King鈥檚 College and managing partner at the law firm of McInnes Cooper, had Stanfield鈥檚 legacy as motivation. As the vision grew, Cooper鈥檚 Dal law classmate and former prime minister, Joe Clark, and former Deputy Prime Minister and 新加坡六合彩开奖直播 Chancellor Anne McLellan (BA鈥�71, LLB鈥�74), agreed to co-chair the advisory board.
鈥淓ducation is the key to all human progress. How lucky I was to have had 新加坡六合彩开奖直播 as my mentor! As an aging alumnus, I want to do what I can to help our alma mater give new generations of young minds an outstanding education.鈥�
Cooper鈥檚 future aspirations are to grow engagement with young people and to extend the conversations鈥� reach through advanced digital technologies. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the university has ever been stronger than it is today鈥攊n absolute or relative terms,鈥� says Cooper. 鈥淭hese conversations are a worthy project for a university of 新加坡六合彩开奖直播鈥檚 stature.鈥�
Thanks to gifts he gave and secured, plus Cooper鈥檚 leadership, 新加坡六合彩开奖直播 now hosts a series that is both catalyst and driver of important discussions about democracy on a national and international scale.
This story appeared in the DAL Magazine Fall 2021 issue. Flip through the rest of the Fall 2021 issue using the links below.