Two of Huron University College's oldest buildings have been given new names and a new purpose.
The Western University affiliate cut the ribbon on Apps International House and Lucas Alumni House this weekend following an extensive revitalization of the two Western Road properties.
Formerly called Watson-Young House and Benson House, the two buildings have stood prominently on campus for more than a combined 200 years.
Benson House, named in honour of the family that previously owned it, was acquired by Huron in 1958 as a 14 person residence. Now dubbed Lucan Alumni House, the newly renovated building is home to the university’s alumni association and marketing and communications teams. The new name is in honour of Rick Lucas, a retired Toronto investment manager and Huron alumnus, who put up the money for the facelift.
“I was taught by my father that it’s important to support the things close to your heart, and for me, that has always been Huron and the way it delivers the traditional Liberal Arts foundation, but with a moral dimension,” Lucas said in a statement. “With its small class sizes and access to highly qualified professors, Huron is a gem of a university."
Watson-Young House was purchased to be used as the school president's residence in 1963 by an anonymous donor later identified as George F. Kingsmill. Renamed Apps International House, the building has now been transformed into a space for international students to study and get support. Money for the building's renovation came from 1979 Huron graduate and well-known Toronto lawyer Alfred Apps.
“I believe in a Canada that can become a beacon to the world and show people how we turn diversity (and the understanding of it) into a strength,” said Apps. “In a world constantly struggling with strife and the attainment of fairness and peace, Huron demonstrates those fundamental human values that, at its heart, Canada is all about.”
Huron was founded in 1863 as a liberal arts college.
