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TORONTO - George Brown College will establish a scholarship
fund to honour the memory of its hospitality dean emeritus
Brian Cooper, who died in Toronto on March 4, 2000.
"Brian was committed heart and soul to Canada's hospitality
industry and creating opportunities for young people in this exciting
sector," says George Brown president Frank Sorochinsky. "It's
only fitting that through this scholarship the college will continue
the work that he pursued throughout his life with such energy and
passion."
 Cooper, who retired from George Brown as Dean of the Faculty
of Hospitality and Tourism in 1998 after 23 years with the college,
was a key figure in Canada's restaurant and hotel industry for almost
40 years. His career spanned both restaurant and hotel management
as well as education, and he was a leading industry promoter through
associations and trade groups.
He served as president of the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services
Association, the Canadian Hospitality Foundation, and the Ontario
Restaurant Association, and was honoured many times for his work
in hospitality education.
Cooper joined George Brown in 1975 as a teacher in the School of
Hospitality, which was then located in a converted public school
building in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.
He became chair of the School in 1978 and was instrumental in adding
both programs and prestige to the department. In 1985 he started
Taste of Canada, an international student cooking competition
that is hosted by the college every four years. During his tenure,
George Brown fielded student teams in many international cooking
competitions who brought home top honours in many, including the
prestigious Culinary Olympics.
In 1987, after several years of planning, lobbying and successful
industry fundraising, Cooper presided over the opening of a new
building -- The Hospitality and Tourism Centre -- at 300 Adelaide
St. E. Toronto. It remains the largest and most comprehensive hospitality
training facility in Canada with more than 1,000 full-time students
and 4,000 continuing education students enrolling every year.
"For more than two decades, Brian was at the leading edge
of hospitality training in this country," says Sorochinsky.
"The synergy he created between education and industry lives
on here at George Brown, and will be his lasting legacy."
Cooper was born in Toronto and raised in Burlington, Ontario where
he worked part-time in his family's restaurant. He graduated from
Cornell University in 1962.
Donations to the Brian Cooper scholarship fund are being accepted
by the George Brown College Foundation, Room 536E, 200 King Street
East, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 3W8. For information about the scholarship
call Margo Sheppard at 416-415-2405.
Note: A memorial service, organized by his family, will be held
for Brian Cooper on Tuesday, March 7, at 3 p.m. in St. James Cathedral,
King Street East at Church Street in downtown Toronto.
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