Business acumen leads to ‘transformational’ financial support of education, arts
Philanthropist Don Taylor received an Honorary Doctor of Laws June 2
— Mount Royal University | Posted: May 27, 2022
Don and Ruth Taylor’s support for MRU has literally made an indelible mark on campus.
Years ago, Calgary philanthropist Don Taylor was approached by a Canadian university that wished to bestow an honorary degree upon him in recognition of his contributions to business, health care and education, an accolade that Taylor ultimately declined.
“I have a friend who was the Governor General of Canada and after he discovered that I had declined this honorary degree, he gave me a scolding and told me that it was one of the most ridiculous things he’d ever heard,” Taylor recalls. “My friend’s wisdom caused me to reflect upon the decision; when a school decides to honour you, it is one you should respect and appreciate.”
Taylor hasn’t repeated that mistake and has since accepted honorary degrees from SAIT and the University of Calgary. In 2022, Mount Royal University recognized one of Alberta’s pre-eminent philanthropists whose family foundation is also the institution's most significant private benefactor with an Honorary Doctor of Laws on June 2.
“For this honour to come from a school that I have tried to support, combined with the fact that Mount Royal recognizes that effort, means an awful lot,” Taylor says.
“Don’s philosophy on giving mirrors his approach to business: spare no effort, lead by example, train the next generation,” said Hunter Wight, Mount Royal’s former vice-president, University Advancement, in his nomination letter for Taylor. “Through the Taylor Family Foundation, Don's donations to health, education, history and the arts, including those to Mount Royal and the University of Calgary, have been transformational.”
A lasting legacy for all to enjoy
Don and Ruth Taylor’s support for MRU has literally made an indelible mark on campus. In 2010, their Foundation provided $21-million to build the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts, which houses the Bella Concert Hall, the highly respected Mount Royal Conservatory, plus classrooms and rehearsal spaces.
Upon its debut in 2015, the Bella quickly developed a reputation as a world-class concert hall.
“The Bella is a superb artistic venue, tuned acoustically for each specific performance,” said Dr. Brad Mahon, PhD, MRU’s dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education.
“Acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, after performing in front of a sold-out audience in 2017, stated that he has played in concert halls all around the world during his career, and in his view the Bella ranks with the finest acoustic venues not just in North America, but anywhere.”
The Bella was named for Taylor’s mother, Mary Belle (Sherwood) Taylor, who was nicknamed Bella by her loved ones. The dedication was in tribute to Bella’s support of education nearly a century ago. “My mother was instrumental in having a school built in Barons, Alberta, 100 miles south of Calgary,” Taylor says. “It was a small farming community that did not have a high school. When my siblings reached high-school age, my mother was very active in garnering provincial and local support to build the school.”
Saying his family takes a great amount of pride in associating with the Bella, Taylor describes the space as “a very intimate concert hall, and the acoustics are remarkable. The building was designed to reflect my mother’s rural background and resemble a barn inside, and the sound reflectors on the ceiling represent my mother’s favourite flower, the wild rose of Alberta.”
In 2021, the Taylors committed a further $15-million to MRU for a campus renovation dedicated to Sam Taylor, Don’s father, that will see the transformation of dated and underutilized spaces into new spaces for learning, a student services hub and areas for immersive learning and broader community dialogue.
It is the latest act by the Taylors, who have a well-deserved reputation as being among Alberta’s most generous philanthropists, having committed more than $140 million to MRU, the University of Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program, and the Calgary Zoo, among other organizations.
“His business leadership has been exemplary, and is only outstripped by his philanthropic support throughout Calgary and the province of Alberta,” says Jay Kellam, a longtime friend who shared a paper route with Taylor when they were in junior high in the 1950s. “He has a deep and abiding passion for doing all he can to see our community thrive.”
Sacrifice in the pursuit of growth
The Honorary Doctor of Laws from MRU will be the latest among numerous accolades Taylor has earned thanks to his ability in taking Engineered Air from a small and floundering HVAC company to a global success known for its innovative design, manufacturing and business processes, along with timely and educated investments Taylor made in the real estate and oil and gas sectors.
Taylor was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame in 2007, invested as a member of the Order of Canada in 2012, and promoted to an Officer of the Order in 2016.
Starting in 1966, the early years at Engineered Air were a formative period that tested Taylor’s resilience. “It was a struggling business that I came in to correct the situation, and I was able to do it,” he recalls. “It was a white-knuckle experience with long hours and sleepless nights but through a lot of hard work and discipline, not only on my part but the people with me, we were able to get things straightened out and make it a successful company.”
Taylor notes that he, and his family, made several sacrifices along the way, and relationships suffered. “It wasn’t an easy path to follow,” he says, but thousands of Albertans have now benefited from his perseverance.