Western alumnus John ‘Jack’ Lawrence, whose founding gift of $3.7 million established the Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management at Richard Ivey School of Business, died this week in a plane crash.
Lawrence, 75, a prominent Canadian money management executive, was killed Monday when the float plane he was piloting went down in the Muskoka region north of Toronto. No cause for the accident, which also claimed the life of companion Carol Richardson, has yet been announced.
The Lawrence National Centre created a forum for business, media, students and academia to work with government and participate in public policy issues.
Lawrence believed in corporate Canada’s ability to influence public policy and in the importance of public policy in ensuring a powerful future for Canada in the global environment.
“We will miss him greatly. Jack was committed to our students and dedicated to giving students not only a sense of business, but a strong commitment to their country as well,” says Ivey Dean Carol Stephenson.
“He believed that our future business leaders should, through public policy, influence the quality of life in our country and ensure economic success,” says Dianne Cunningham, director of the Lawrence Centre.
“I know Jack believed that: ‘If we could really achieve more cooperation between government and business, we would see a quantum leap in economic performance and productivity’.”
Lawrence graduated from Ivey’s undergraduate program (HBA) in 1956 and in the years that followed influenced and contributed to Canada’s economic policies and was instrumental in helping business gain a larger voice in policy-making decisions.
Lawrence was the chairman and CEO of Lawrence & Company Inc., a money management firm he founded in 1996.