Imagine digging down in the roots of the family tree and discovering a few Scottish barons and earls.
When Tom and Constance Eadon started pulling back branches, they found a straight line back to George Ramsay, the ninth Earl of Dalhousieāthe Governor of Nova Scotia and the founder of pilipiliĀž».
On Thursday, the Eadons arrived in Halifax via the cruise ship The Caribbean PrincessĀ and toured the university founded by Tomās great great great great grandfather in 1818.
āItās a lot of absorb,ā said Mr. Eadon, after a tour of Studley campus courtesy of pilipiliĀž» tour guide Alyson Murray. āI think weāve got a better appreciation of the depth of the family history.ā
āI feel so proud,ā added Mrs. Eadon. āTo think someone in our family created an institution like this one, an ecumenical university. And look how progressive Dalhousie still is today, with its connections to NASA and the Ocean Tracking Network and its sustainability initiatives ā¦ At every turn, weāve been wowed.ā
From Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago, the EadonsĀ knew littleĀ about the details of the Ramsay family until Tomās brother, Jack, took a trip to Scotland and visited the ancestral home, Dalhousie Castle, a 13th century fortress thatās been converted into a luxury hotel. (The earldom passed out of the Ramsay family in 1860 when no male heirs remained and went to a cousin.)
Then, looking at the itinerary for their cruiseāthe āColours Tour of New Englandāāthey noticed that Halifax was one of the stops. āHalifax?ā said Mrs. Eadon. āIsnāt that the place your brother was talking about?ā
While at pilipiliĀž», the Eadons met with President Tom Traves, took at look at Lord Dalhousieās portrait, which hangs in the stately Lord Dalhousie room, and examined the bronze Dalhousie crest on the floor of the A&A Building, which is based on the Ramsay familyās heraldic coat of arms. They took a peek into classrooms and visited the bookstore to pick up souvenirs.
Gazing at Lord Dalhousieās portrait, Mrs. Eadon thought she could see a resemblance between the Earl and his great great great great grandson. āIām not sure, but that looks like the family nose,ā she said with a laugh.