Russell Smith Tips Hat To The Great Start He Received From Glendon

In 1964, York was in its infancy. Yet from the very beginning, it was known for horizon-expanding education in an intimate setting.

This was exactly what Russell  D. Smith (BA ’67), one of Glendon’s first graduate, was looking for when he accepted a spot at Glendon College.

Murray G. Ross, York’s first President, acted as Russell’s faculty advisor and inspired him to discover what would become his lifelong mission: to enhance the value offered to society by Canada’s public servants.

For 30 years, that’s just what Russell did, managing human resources programs of several government ministries. His last position was Executive Services Consultant with the Ontario Management Board Secretariat’s Centre for Leadership.

Russell says: “Glendon was an important starting point in preparing me for my public service career. To allow Glendon to help others like me to do the same, I’m honouring York University with a bequest in my will to fund scholarships for promising future students of Glendon College’s Master’s program in Public and International Affairs.”

Now retired, Russell has devised a way for his work to continue. He has decided to leave a bequest to York, which will give some of the most promising future leaders the knowledge and experience they need to create sound and progressive public policy.

“I plan to leave a percentage of the residue of my estate to create the Russell D. Smith Scholarship in Public and International Affairs,” Russell told York recently.

“I’m doing so in appreciation of the good general grounding I got from Glendon, which offered excellent education in a small community setting that really felt like family. “When I decided on graduate studies to better prepare me for a career  in public service, sadly York University didn’t have such a Master’s program at that time, so I finished my studies at another University.

“I would have preferred to stay at Glendon, so I’m thrilled York students can now take Glendon’s outstanding Master’s program in Public and International Affairs.

“My bequest will be endowed, and its annual income will become an investment in financially challenged students who show great promise in public service. Today’s university education costs are much, much greater than they were in my day, and it would be a shame for someone to have to stop their studies because of a lack of money.

“I encourage anyone who is lucky enough to have funds to leave as a legacy beyond immediate family to consider making a bequest to acknowledge those institutions and agencies that meant something to them during their lifetime.”

Article first published in York U Legacies Newsletter, Winter 2012.