Take a tour of McGill’s undergraduate chemistry labs and you’ll find a wide array of research-grade equipment, including liquid chromatographs, gas chromatographs, infrared spectrophotometers, and molecular modelling software.
These state-of the-art instruments are vital to the experiments conducted in McGill’s undergraduate chemistry courses, and this high-impact initiative derives from the support of one person: Dr. Frank Chubb, BSc’35, a former McGill staff member.
The scale of what he’s done and the impact he’s had is incredible.”
Dr. Chubb was a successful chemist, serving as Director of Research for a Montreal pharmaceutical company. Upon retirement, he returned to the Faculty of Science’s Department of Chemistry as a Research Associate and became a mainstay in the labs.
“Frank was young at heart, and he loved being here,” says Bruce Lennox, Dean of Science and Tomlinson Professor of Chemistry. “He was a delightful person, an accomplished chemist, and the students loved him. He was part of the community.”
Dr. Chubb remained in the Faculty of Science for over 25 years. When he passed away in 2010 at age 96, the University was informed that he’d left a percentage of his estate – $657,500 – to McGill. Due to his longtime devotion to the lab, his generous legacy gift was designated to the Chemistry department.
“The Chubb Endowment is truly important to me,” says Dean Lennox. “The instruments purchased by the Chubb fund are used by 2,000 students each year, so the scale of what he’s done and the impact he’s had is incredible.”
The Chubb gift continues to generate income year after year, continually improving an array of equipment needed by undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science. Matched dollar-for-dollar by our undergraduate students (a remarkable story in its own right), the Chubb gift ensures that students will always be using state-of-the-art instruments and not hand-me-downs or obsolete platforms.
“Legacy gifts are really underrecognized in how they can make a difference to how we operate,” says Dean Lennox. “Dr. Chubb was incredibly humble and incredibly generous. His wonderful gift is going to have an impact every year – forever.”
Support McGill’s Third Century. Leave a legacy gift today.