Voices of Acadia | Gord Proudfoot (’74)


Gord Proudfoot, QC (’74), graduated from Acadia with a BBA before completing his law degree at Dalhousie Law School. He was a partner and senior litigator at Boyne Clarke Barristers and Solicitors, where he practiced law since 1979. Among his many accomplishments, Proudfoot was an Honorary Life Member of the Canadian Bar Association and past recipient of the Canadian Bar Association Distinguished Service Award (2000).

“I grew up in the Annapolis Valley and as a school boy, Acadia’s University Hall was always the icon of higher education.

“At Acadia, Professor David Meisner made it abundantly clear that accounting was not in my future, for which I owe him much. I would have been bored silly. Professor Lionel Mitchell encouraged me because I had a knack for marketing. I took those fundamental skills, developed them further and they have served me well over the years in various public, charitable and political works. I consider it a privilege to have met math professor Dr. David Haley, who taught us that zaniness and brilliance can co-exist.

“I have recommended Acadia many times to prospective students. Acadia’s size and location, with it being removed from the hustle and bustle of Halifax, allows students to focus on their studies and become more deeply immersed in university life. That makes them better students and more complete people.

“I have dozens of fond memories of Acadia. I remember finishing my first-year exams and laying on the front lawn of University Hall with the sweet smell of freshly cut grass. I remember feeling ‘the power and the glory’ of the electric crowds and the unity of spirit at big basketball games.

“To me, Acadia – the place – has always been a beautiful vista. There can be no University Hall and campus more pleasing to the eye. To me, that is the beginning of the magic of Acadia. The simplicity of life in Wolfville allows a student to delve into his or her studies and university life. Working hard and playing hard equals great results. For me, this unique environment makes Acadia a very special place.”

Gordon Proudfoot passed away on May 1, 2020.

Originally published in Voices of Acadia, Vol. II. This article has since been edited.


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