A local philanthropist and business man has donated $20 million to the University of Calgary for its Haskayne School of Business.

The donation from Ronald Mathison, the chairman of Matco Investments, will help fund a second building for the business school, the school announced Friday.

It's planning to start building Mathison Hall adjacent to Scurfield Hall in 2019.

At a ceremony on Friday, Mathison gave an emotional speech about how he was motivated to make the donation due to his family's longtime relationship with the Haskaynes.

Ronald Mathison says his father and Richard Haskayne inspired his donation. (Marnie Burkhart/Jazhart Studios/University of Calgary)

Mathison's father grew up near Richard Haskayne, for whom the business school is named, east of Calgary in Gleichen, Alta. The two worked in the Haskayne family butcher shop, a trade Mathison's father stayed in throughout his working life.

That experience, Mathison said, taught the two families honesty, hard work, integrity and the value of a dollar.

He said he believes the University of Calgary business school embodies those values, so he wanted to contribute to the expansion.

'Certain symmetry'

When Haskayne went on to work as a top Canadian businessman, Mathison said he used to run ethical questions by his father — something his father didn't mention until asked.

"There did seem to be a certain symmetry to having a Mathison building at the Haskayne School," he said, choking up, "to honour their intergenerational friendship and the principles that I tried to describe that were first learned in that small town butcher shop a long time ago."

Ken Mathison and Dick Haskayne remained friends their whole lives. This photo was shown in a presentation by the University of Calgary. (University of Calgary)

Mathison said that although his father died last summer at 90, when he learned of the planned donation, he said, "That sounds about right."

"I could tell from that muted reaction that he would have been delighted to be here today," Mathison said.

More space for students

Mathison Hall will be a 10,000-square-metre building with a 300-seat auditorium, additional study space, a student success centre and an area dedicated to entrepreneurial thinking.

Elizabeth Cannon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary, called the donation "a transformative gift."

"It's a fabulous story, the connection between the Mathison family and the Haskayne family. To pull it all together … it's a great bridge between two wonderful families, two great business leaders and, of course, a great university," Cannon said.

"So it's a great day for the University of Calgary."

Members of both families, including Richard Haskayne, were in the audience at the ceremony.

Enrolment in the university's business school has tripled since it opened in 1986 but currently the majority of business classes are held elsewhere on campus.

The new building will almost double the campus's business-dedicated space to allow researchers and students to work together.

Mathison has donated to the university in the past. A donation of $10 million established the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at the school. He also runs an MBA fellowship program.

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