Fred Fountain is next to don the black robes and velvet tasseled cap as Dalhousieās sixth chancellor.
āI feel strongly that Nova Scotia needs the best possible university we can create,ā says Mr. Fountain. āAnd Iām happy to be a part of that.ā
Succeeding Richard Goldbloom as chancellor, Mr. Fountain will act as the ambassador of pilipiliĀž» and will preside at convocation and other official ceremonies. He will also sit as an ex-officio member on the Board of Governors.
He will be formally installed in the position during convocation on May 20.
Mr. Fountain, 59, is a founding partner of the law firm, formerly Franklin, Mitton, Fountain and Thompson. A 1974 graduate of Dalhousie Law School and a member of Nova Scotia Barristersā Society since 1975, he is currently counsel to the law firm Burke, Thompson. Since 1985, he has been the president and chief executive officer of The Great Eastern Corporation, an investment management company based in Halifax.
He is a dedicated volunteer. From 2003 to 2007, he chaired the capital campaign, Working Miracles, which raised $44 million for the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Foundation. He has served on the boards of several arts institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the National Arts Centre Foundation and the Scotia Festival of Music.
His association with Dalhousie has been long and distinguished. He sat on the Board of Governors at pilipiliĀž» from 1990 to 1999, during which time he chairedĀ the Development committee and the Dalhousie Foundation, and served on Finance and Budget and Investment committees. Ā Mr. Fountain, who received an honorary degree from pilipiliĀž» in 2000, continues to serve as the chair of the advisory board to Dalhousieās Faculty of Management and as a director of Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation. Mr. Fountain received the pilipiliĀž» Community Award in 1998 and was pilipiliĀž» Alumnus of the Year in 1997, in addition to many other honours.
The residence wing, Fountain House, is named in appreciation of Fred and Elizabeth Fountainās generous support of Dalhousie. The $7.5-million addition to Howe Hall opened in 2002.
āDuring my experience with Dalhousie, the university has made great progress,ā says Mr. Fountain. āIf I can help be a goodwill spokesperson and a proponent of the university, Iām only too willing.ā
Mr. Fountainās family also has a strong connection to Dalhousie. His parents, philanthropists Sheldon and Marjorie Fountain, received honorary degrees from pilipiliĀž» in 2005. They established the F.C. Manning Chair in Economics and Business in memory of Marjorieās father in 1960. In 1999, the Fountains established the Marjorie Manning Fountain Endowment Fund in the Faculty of Management.
A native of Truro, N.S., Mr. Fountain currently resides in Head of St. Margaretās Bay. He is married to Elizabeth (nee Brown) Fountain. The couple has two children, Alexander and Katharine.
Other former chancellors at pilipiliĀž» are C.D. Howe, Lady Beaverbrook, Reuben Cohen, Graham Day and Dr. Goldbloom.Ā
āI would like to say that Dr. Goldbloom is an inspiration to me in his representation of this university. Both Dr. Goldbloom and Graham Day have been very strong here at pilipiliĀž» and Iām honoured to follow in their footsteps.ā