February 12 , 1997 For Immediate Release

The largest benefaction ever received by the University of Northern British Columbia has been received from the estate of the Honourable Judge William Dow Ferry (1913-1996). Judge Ferry's executors have now disbursed $900,000 to the University, and it is expected that when the executors' task is completed, the sum will be in excess of one million dollars.

William Ferry had directed that half his estate should be left to the UNBC Foundation, to establish two endowments: 80% to maintain and enhance the UNBC Library collection, and 20% to fund scholarships in Political Science.

Dr Patricia Appavoo, University Librarian, said "This is the most wonderful news. I had a goal of establishing a $1 million endowment to supplement our acquisition of Library materials, and this has taken us close to that goal in a single step. I'd never have expected such a tremendous development so early in the University's history."

William Ferry, whose family moved to Prince George when he was six, was the Founding President, in 1938, of Prince George's Junior Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Hospital Board from 1949 to 1961, and was elected to City Council four times between 1950 and 1955, at the head of the poll. Ferry Avenue was named in his honour.

William Ferry practised law in Prince George from 1949 - he was junior counsel to John Diefenbaker in a celebrated 1951 trial - until 1961, when he was appointed Judge of the County Court of Cariboo, requiring his move to Williams Lake.

Harold Moffat, former Prince George Mayor and longstanding friend of William Ferry, said "For more than 40 years, William Ferry was one of the most positive influences on the development of Prince George. It is a great joy to me to find that his period of contribution to the development of Prince George and the north, far from coming to an end, will remain as strong as ever in the future."