In 1989, Dr. Robert Cluett became the founding Chairman and CEO of the Loran Scholars Foundation (then known as the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation).
Having identified a significant gap in the Canadian system of support for university students. First of all, support tended to benefit most those with exceptionally high academic averages or phenomenal athletic abilities. And secondly, the support was predominantly financial.
Dr. Cluett, however, had a vision of providing something unique: financial aid, yes, but also mentorship and leadership development. And the benefactors he had in mind were different, too. He aimed to seek out exceptional young Canadians, identified by evidence of strength of character, the potential for leadership, and the drive to serve and uplift their communities.
An early proponent of merit-based selection, Dr. Cluett lauded that character is demonstrated by what students do with the opportunities they are given within the context, considering the circumstantial constraints of their backgrounds and upbringings. He insisted that breadth, openness to challenge, compassion, resilience, and willingness to take meaningful risks were of greater importance than quantitative and conventional measures of past success or future potential. This created an unprecedented, equity-based opportunity for students from all regions, demographics, and socio-economic statuses of Canada.
Fuelled by the conviction that Canada would prosper if these high-potential students were given the chance to imagine, explore, and create the future, Loran’s mission was to find and nurture the country’s next generation of young people who are driven by integrity, courage, grit, and a dedication to leaving the world better than they found it.
At Loran’s inception, five universities—McMaster, McGill, Toronto, Waterloo, and York—recognized the value of Dr. Cluett’s forward-looking vision and stepped up to signal their support as founding partners: committing to co-investing in Loran Scholars by providing matching tuition waivers for students who chose to study on their campuses. These original members of Loran’s university consortium formed the bedrock of the Loran Award, enabling the Foundation to provide students with funding to study on Canadian campuses, access to the country’s best academic programs, a connected and collaborative post-secondary community, and a breadth of opportunities to enrich their education; so they might go on to reinvest their talents in shaping the nation’s future.
This year marks more than 35 years of Loran’s enduring partnerships with not just the founding five, but also Dalhousie University, which joined one year later. To celebrate this milestone, a few of our partners recently shared their stories of our incredible partnership. You can read them through the links below.
- Celebrating 35 years of Loran Scholars, McGill University
- ‘Leaving the world a better place’: Marking 35 years of Loran Scholars at Dalhousie, Dalhousie University
- McMaster and Loran Scholars Foundation celebrate 36 years of excellence in leadership, McMaster University
- Leadership grounded in integrity and service, University of Waterloo
Without the support of these universities, and all the others that followed, we would not have been able to identify, equip, and empower generations of values-driven young people.
Along with all of the individuals, companies, and foundations whose gifts support our mission, our partner universities ensure Loran can continue cultivating a diverse community of leaders of integrity who make meaningful, lifelong contributions to their communities and build a brighter world. We celebrate and thank them for joining us on this journey.