“Money was always a problem,” he acknowledges. “To get the protein needed for weightlifting, I drank three quarts of milk a day — it was the cheaper way. Many peers worked part-time to make ends meet.”
Living on a shoestring budget, missing even a week of work due to illness caused major financial problems. “I realized back then that it would be beneficial for the Department of Philosophy to maintain a fund, even $1,000, to support students for a few weeks at a time, when appropriate,” he says.
In 2005, Bob made his first donation to the Department of Philosophy, leading to the creation of the annual Philosophy Awards. After more than a decade of generous support, he endowed his fund in 2019 to ensure the awards would be granted in perpetuity.
“Waterloo’s philosophy program began in 1962, so my peers and I didn’t have the benefit of support from those who came before us,” he reflects. “Today’s students have a growing base of alumni who are waking up to the necessity and the benefits of giving.”
I was a student in the best philosophy department in Canada. Ultimately, my Waterloo experience helped me understand people, and I’m in the people business.
BOB EWEN (BA '71)
Clair Baleshta (BKI ’20), a new alumnus who minored in philosophy, illustrates the impact of Bob’s generosity. She received a fourth-year prize in philosophy and an upper-year prize in women’s studies, as well as an undergraduate essay prize for her writing on the philosophy of law.
“These awards are incredibly significant for the financial freedom they provide,” she affirms. As she prepares to start a master’s degree in philosophy, the first step toward her goal of becoming a bioethicist, Clair credits her Department of Philosophy awards with boosting her resume and attracting additional scholarship funding for graduate school.
“Alumni like Bob Ewen have played a major role in setting me up for a successful post-graduate experience,” she says. “I wouldn’t be on the path to becoming a bioethicist without their generosity. For so many students, financial awards make all the difference.”
“Money was always a problem,” he acknowledges. “To get the protein needed for weightlifting, I drank three quarts of milk a day — it was the cheaper way. Many peers worked part-time to make ends meet.”
