$1 Million Estate Gift Supports Indigenous Graduate Student Scholarship at Trent University

A generous $1 million estate gift from philanthropist Bill Reid will provide opportunities for Indigenous graduate student scholarship at Trent University.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

This is the largest gift of its kind in the University’s history.

The gift will help endow the William B. Reid Scholarship, first established at Trent in 2016, providing more than $30,000 in annual funding to support Indigenous graduate students at Trent.

The scholarship will fund research expenses of Trent graduate students in Canada or abroad, hands-on training opportunities related to the thesis or major research project, and opportunities to engage with specialists in the field, through attending international conferences

“After the recent inaugural Truth and Reconciliation Day, more and more Canadians are asking themselves how they can best support Indigenous peoples,” said Sherry Booth associate vice president of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Trent. “Bill was a passionate individual who listened to Indigenous people’s stories, wanted to make a difference, and created a fund that encourages many young Indigenous students in their pursuit of higher education so that they, in turn, can better support their communities.”

Trent’s Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program is a first-of-its-kind in Canada, and offers students an opportunity to engage in advanced learning experiences grounded in Indigenous cultures and reflecting on the interaction between traditional and contemporary Indigenous knowledges. The University’s deep roots in reconciliation date back more than 50 years.

Reid became involved in Indigenous issues through reading, personal friendships with Indigenous people, and a hobby of collecting and restoring Indigenous beadwork, says his long-time partner, Bob Seabourn. Before his death in 2019, he donated nearly 400 pieces of beadwork to the Art Gallery of Guelph.

Reid was a long-time supporter of Trent with a legacy of giving over more than 20 years.

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