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Associated Alumni

Air Canada creates scholarship honouring former chairman, president and CEO Claude Taylor

Air Canada is investing $100,000 at UNB, over the next 5 years, to create a scholarship in honour of its former chairman, president and CEO Claude Taylor (DCL’80).

Born in Salisbury, NB, in 1925, Taylor was a proud New Brunswicker. His career in the aviation industry spanned from 1949 to 1992, beginning as a passenger agent with Trans Canada Airlines (TCA) in Moncton. He was appointed president and CEO of Air Canada in 1976 and was also chairman of the board from 1984 until 1992. During his illustrious career at Air Canada, he made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the airline, spearheading the 1977 Air Canada Act, which saw the company become a stand-alone crown corporation and initiating Air Canada’s complete privatization in 1988.

Air Canada is commemorating Claude Taylor’s legacy by providing access to post-secondary education through an endowed scholarship in his name at UNB.

“Claude Taylor was a proud Canadian and a remarkable man who built a great national airline,” says Calin Rovinescu, president and CEO of Air Canada. “While his achievements were recognized with many honors during his lifetime, people were always more important to Claude than awards and recognition, and we can think of nothing that would please him more than giving Canada’s future leaders access to education in his home province, a place he was so proud of.”

The Claude Taylor Scholarship, valued at $4,000, will be awarded to a graduating high school student from across Canada who is entering his or her first year of studies at UNB. The award will be based on academic achievement, community involvement and financial need.

“Scholarships allow more students to access the education they need to thrive and to build a better world for all of us,” says UNB President Eddy Campbell. “We deeply appreciate Air Canada’s generous support of our students through this scholarship program.”

Claude Taylor passed away on April 23, 2015, one month shy of his 90th birthday.

“Dad would have been truly humbled to be honoured in such a manner and have the lives of others enriched by the gift of education, which was one of his passions in life,” says Claude Taylor’s son Peter. “The family could not be more pleased and thankful to Air Canada for creating this scholarship at UNB in my father’s name.”