Over the past 40 years, the J.E.A. Crake Foundation, established by the late Dr. John Ernest Alexander Crake, professor of classics from 1946-76, has contributed more than $5-million to the arts and humanities at Mount Allison. The University recently celebrated Dr. Crake’s legacy on campus, as well as the individuals who have contributed their time and treasure to Mount Allison and the Foundation over the years.

Margaret Fancy, a long-time member of the Mount Allison and Sackville communities, has been involved with the Crake Foundation since its establishment. Fancy served first as a member of the Board, then as chair of the Foundation since 1990 — close to 30 years. A retired librarian, she recently stepped down as chair of the Foundation with Berkeley Fleming, a professor emeritus of sociology at Mount Allison and former provost and vice-president, academic and research taking over the reins. Fancy remains on the Foundation's board.

The Crake Foundation has enriched the student experience for many over the past four decades, supporting internships, guest lectures, and research projects, as well as awards, scholarships, bursaries, and special events and initiatives on campus.

Art history student Grace McLean completed an internship with University Archivist David Mawhinney thanks to the Foundation. She spoke about her experience researching the history of CHMA, the campus radio station, at the event.

“I got to do my Crake ArtsWork Internship at the Mount Allison Archives. I was only in second year at the time and I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe I am getting this kind of employment opportunity!’ ” she said. "By the end of the term I was able to compile a history of broadcasting at Mount Allison, something that didn’t exist previously and that will now be in place for future researchers to use. I loved the internship so much that I ended up staying on and working at the archives through the summer on a different internship — one that let me work with all of artist Mary Pratt’s papers, a real privilege for an art history student.”

Mount Allison University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau echoed this message of gratitude and appreciation to the Foundation and its staff, offering a toast to Fancy at the event.

“Dr. Crake was a visionary, truly. Because of his careful consideration in setting up what became the Crake Foundation, Dr. Crake has continued to benefit Mount Allison, its students and faculty, and the community of Sackville for more than 35 years after his death,” he said. “One of the reasons the Foundation has been so successful has been the people, like Margaret Fancy and Berkeley Fleming, who have committed over the years to advancing Dr. Crake’s legacy.”

Photo captions: 1) Long-time Crake Foundation board member Margaret Fancy addresses the audience during the Crake Foundation celebration held Jan. 30 on campus. 2) Mount Allison President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau presents Margaret Fancy with flowers. 3) Peter Sianchuk, Gerald Hannah, Nancy Vogan, Berkeley Fleming, Margaret Fancy, Jean-Paul Boudreau.