their education or helping them with bursaries and scholarships. He was known for his wit and sense of humour, for emptying his pockets on the spot for a student in need, for his affection for the arts — especially theatre and music — and for his bombastic classroom style that often left him standing at the blackboard in a cloud of chalk dust. An excerpt from the citation for the honorary degree awarded to him by the University of British Columbia in 1958 affirmed that Walter Gage was ‘the most and best beloved of the university family’, referring to him as ‘in a sense, the physical embodiment of this university’s academic conscience, and a man whose scholarly attainments and standards of teaching are equaled only by his concern always to do justice to colleagues and students alike’. He was later awarded an Honorary LL.D. by the University of Victoria, where he had taught and was similarly revered. In 1971, his lifetime of achievement and excellence in advancing university education was recognized by his investiture as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest rank in Canada’s highest civilian honour system. He died in 1978. Following his death in 1978, the Walter Gage Residence for students at the University of British Columbia was named to honour his legacy. A book was published in 2018 detailing the life and work of Walter Gage. The Age of Walter Gage: How One Canadian Shaped The Lives of Thousands is the story of how Gage not only redefined teaching as a profession — his overflowing classes were filled not only with eager students but with much laughter — but also guided the future of the growing UBC campus. The book chronicles the fascinating and unforgettable legacy of an individual who rose from humble beginnings to become a profoundly positive influence on the lives of thousands of young Canadians. References 1905 births 1978 deaths 20th-century Canadian mathematicians Canadian university and college faculty deans Companions of the Order of Canada Scientists from Vancouver Presidents of the University of British Columbia University of British Columbia alumni