UNBC's administration building will be named after Charles J. McCaffray, who helped start the campaign to make the university a reality for Prince George.
The public dedication ceremony will take place on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
"Charles McCaffray's determination as an academic champion and educator, and his ability to unite skeptics towards a common goal, laid the foundation upon which UNBC is built," said Daniel Weeks, UNBC president. "He was not a person who sought recognition, so many may not have known of his involvement with the university's establishment, which is why it is a tremendous honour to recognize his contributions in such a manner."
McCaffray, who died on April 25, 2015, was president of the College of New Caledonia in the mid 1980s and was first to suggest that building a university in the north would be the best way to increase access to post-secondary education in the region.
McCaffray started the conversation about post-secondary options as a member of the No Name Group in the 1980s, then became a member of the Interior University Society. He brought to Prince George acclaimed Swedish educator Dr. Urban Dahllf of Uppsala University, who did a report on the feasibility of having a university in the region.
Tom Steadman, an early founder of the university and a businessman in the city, brought forward the idea to recognize McCaffray, which started the ball rolling for the administrative building to be named after him.
To RSVP to attend the naming ceremony, email development@unbc.ca by Sept. 16.
