Dr. Alfred Bader, Sc’45, Arts’46, MSc’47, LLD’86, and Dr. Isabel Bader, LLD’07, are the University’s most generous donors. They have given back to Queen’s in countless ways: transforming the campus, enriching the student experience, supporting scholarship, and helping to enhance the University’s reputation as a top-tier educational institution.
Alfred and his wife Isabel have contributed to academic excellence through academic chairs in art history and chemistry and through awards in many disciplines. The Baders recently presented Queen’s with a gift of 68 paintings from their remarkable collection of Dutch and Flemish Baroque art. Joining more than 130 paintings previously donated by the Baders, this gift secures the Agnes Etherington Art Centre’s place among the largest and best collections of European Art in Canada, and among the major hubs for European Art in North America.
In an extraordinary philanthropic gesture, the couple funded Queen’s purchase of a 15th century English castle – Herstmonceux – that has been meticulously restored and is now home to the Bader International Study Centre. More recently, the Baders gave a transformational gift in support of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, opening in fall 2014. Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, this new facility brings together exceptional spaces and programs with a captivating sense of place to create a dynamic venue for our students and community to learn, discover, think, do, and experience, together.
At a gala event on April 5, 2014, Alfred and Isabel Bader received the Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honour given by the Queen’s University Alumni Association. The Baders were honoured for their significant contributions in the arts, philanthropy, and education at Queen’s. Together, they have transformed the learning experience at Queen’s and the very fabric of the Queen’s campus.
