$39M donation creates record endowment fund for brain research institute

Calgary, AB – Long-time philanthropist, business leader and well known Calgarian, Harley Hotchkiss, together with his wife Rebecca, say they will build on their previous support for the University of Calgary by committing $39 million towards a major endowment fund.

The endowment will be used to support the ongoing neurological and mental health research and education initiatives of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), including the recruitment and retention of top researchers and the development of leading-edge biomedical technology and facilities.

In 2004, the Hotchkiss family provided the initial lead gift of $10 million to establish the HBI at the university. Since then, the Institute has grown to become a leading centre in neurological and mental health, integrating research, education and treatment.

Along with a $25-million bequest last year by Hotchkiss’s long-time friend and US entrepreneur T Boone Pickens, the fund when fully realized will top $64 million — making it the largest endowment program in the university’s history.

“I can’t say enough about the critical role that Harley Hotchkiss and his family have played in guiding and supporting the Institute,” said Dr. Samuel Weiss, director of the HBI within the U of C’s Faculty of Medicine. “The endowment will ensure the long-term sustainability of our Brain Institute in its pursuit of excellence in neurological and mental health research and education.”