uOttawa News

OTTAWA, May 5, 2015  —  The University of Ottawa has proudly inaugurated the Alex Trebek Alumni Hall, named after the renowned alumnus and host of the popular gameshow Jeopardy! Mr. Trebek was present at the inauguration ceremony, which took place during uOttawa Alumni Week. The Alex Trebek Alumni Hall, the first of its kind at the University, will give alumni of all ages a place to meet and celebrate their years of study.

“The University of Ottawa has 196,000 alumni in 155 countries. For the first time in our history, they now have a place on campus to call their own,” said University of Ottawa President Allan Rock. “We are proud to name Alumni Hall after Alex Trebek, who graduated from our university and is a respected champion of education, and of his alma mater in particular.”

Located across from historic Tabaret Hall, the new edifice preserves two heritage buildings, the Maison Gaston-Héon and the former home of Thomas Foran, the first uOttawa alumnus.

The Alex Trebek Alumni Hall was funded in part through Mr. Trebek’s gift of $2.4 million, as well as financial support from the uOttawa Alumni Association, Johnson Inc., MBNA, Canada Life, and the University faculties.

Mr. Trebek’s gift has also helped launch the Alex Trebek Distinguished Lecture Series.  This annual lecture series will provide an opportunity for students, alumni and residents of the National Capital Region to hear from renowned speakers on important topics.

“It’s a forum for original thinking — an opportunity to probe provocative ideas. For me, the University of Ottawa is the ideal institution to host the series, as it is the place that first exposed me to the world and to the possibilities of big ideas,” said Mr. Trebek.  The first event of the series will be a lecture by Thomas L. Friedman,three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and internationally renowned best-selling author.

Mr. Trebek earned a degree in philosophy from the University of Ottawa before embarking on a career in broadcasting, covering national news and special events for radio and television. With the growing popularity of game shows, he eventually segued into the role of Jeopardy! host and quickly became a pop culture icon. In 1996, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa and in 1998, he received the Meritas Tabaret Award for Alumni Achievement, the top award bestowed on University of Ottawa alumni.

Media inquiries

Danika Gagnon
Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa
Office: 613-562-5800 ext. 2981
Cell: 613-863-7221
danika.gagnon@uOttawa.ca

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