University of British Columbia Athletics

Gerald McGavin has been a leader in the community throughout BC for almost 5 decades.  He has been recognized on numerous occasions for his outstanding commitment to his community, including becoming a Member of the Order of BC, Member of the Order Canada, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal among many other accolades.

Gerald showed early signs of excellence as a student-athlete at UBC.  Not only did he manage his studies in Commerce while being a valued member of the Thunderbird Rugby team, Gerald was selected to represent the Senior Men’s Provincial team. As a player representing Canada, Gerald had the opportunity to square off against the best teams in the world, including the Barbarians, the British Lions, and New Zealand Universities.
 
Since his playing days, Gerald has remained a very active member of the Vancouver business community, serving on numerous boards, including chairing the BC Sports Hall of Fame, serving on the UBC Alumni Association Board and chairing the Alumni Fund. 
 
In 1995, the Gerald McGavin building was opened in recognition of his 20-plus years as a trustee and chair of the Discovery Foundation which created the cutting-edge Discovery Park project. During his tenure, the project created technology and knowledge transfer facilities on the campuses of not only UBC, but also BCIT, SFU and UVic.  This Discovery Park project set BC at the forefront of technology heading into 2000 and still continues to facilitate innovation and development of the BC technology sector.
 
More recently, the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre opened in 2013 owing in large part to Gerald’s leadership, planning and fundraising.  The pavilion has created a home for UBC Rugby on campus and has brought together the men’s and women’s programs to continue the alumni legacy for student-athletes. Gerald is a stalwart supporter of UBC Rugby and has remained committed to the Thunderbirds and the University as a builder.