George Munro (philanthropist)
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George Munro | |
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| Born | November 12, 1825 West River, Nova Scotia |
| Died | April 23, 1896 (aged 70) Pine Hill, New York |
| Education | Pictou Academy |
| Occupation | Educator Publisher |
| Known for | Rescuing Dalhousie University |
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George Munro (November 12, 1825 – April 23, 1896) was a Canadian educator and philanthropist from Nova Scotia.
Biography[]
George Munro was born in West River, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. After basic schooling he became an apprentice at the age of 12 with a local newspaper known as The Observer. After two years he continued his education attending the from 1839 to 1842. After this he taught for a year to raise enough money to attend Pictou Academy.[1]
Around 1850, Munro moved to Halifax and taught natural philosophy and mathematics at the . He eventually became the school's principal before leaving for New York City in 1856. Five years later in 1861, he joined the publishing firm . In 1863 the firm broke up and Munro entered in a partnership with and ended up owning the company a year later.
Munro became rich from his publishing company and in 1879 began donating to Dalhousie University under the influence of his brother-in-law, a member of the university's Board of Governors. At the time Dalhousie's total income was only $6,600, and the university was in danger of shutting down. In all Munro gave approximately $333,000 to the university (about $8 million in today's funds) which included endowed professorships and bursaries.
He died in Pine Hill, New York on April 23, 1896.[2]
To commemorate his generosity, a university holiday, Munro Day, is celebrated each year on the first Friday of February.
References[]
- ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. VII. James T. White & Company. 1897. p. 114. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ "George Munro's Funeral". Trenton Evening Times. New York. April 25, 1896. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
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- 1825 births
- 1896 deaths
- Canadian educators
- Canadian philanthropists
- Dalhousie University
- Pre-Confederation Canadian businesspeople
- People from Pictou County
- Colony of Nova Scotia people
- Canadian people of Scottish descent
- 19th-century philanthropists