In Memoriam: Alan Earp

Dear Members of the Trinity College Community:

We are saddened to let you know of the death of Professor Alan J. Earp. He passed away on July 7, 2024 at the age of 99 in Montreal.

In 1944, he was in second year at Trinity when he went to fight overseas. Returning as a wounded veteran, he completed his degree, then went on to graduate school and taught abroad. In 1955, he returned to Trinity as Professor of Classics and also served several administrative roles – Dean of Residence, Registrar and Dean of Men until 1965. In 1987, then President & Vice-Chancellor of Brock University in St. Catharines, Professor Earp was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his great influence in the field of higher education. In 2003, he received an Honorary Doctor of Sacred Letters for his dedication and service to Trinity College.

The Rev. Canon David Neelands previously shared this remark about Professor Earp: “He was really committed to making Trinity an international place, with good relations on a student level with those who came from the Caribbean and Africa.”  Trinity alumnus Weston Miller interviewed Professor Earp when he was 94, retired after a distinguished career at Carleton University, the University of Guyana, and finally as Provost and later President of Brock University. Writing in the Salterrae (September 2016), Miller notes that Professor Earp partnered with the governments of the Gold Coast in Africa to have two students study at Trinity, the first ever African students accepted here. Inspired by the activism taking place in the United States at the time, Professor Earp championed the cause of Black students from Africa and the Caribbean, picketing on University Avenue, and pleading with the government of Prime Minister Diefenbaker to reverse the ban on summer jobs for overseas students. Professor Earp told Weston Miller that he was most proud of two things during his time at Trinity: his willingness to listen to students’ calls for change, and his attempts at enhancing inclusivity.

Sixty years on, Trinity is grateful for Professor Earp’s trailblazing leadership and contributions at Trinity and beyond. On behalf of the College, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and friends. You can read more about Dr. Earp’s remarkable life, including recovering from being shot in the head during the Second World War, in this obituary.

Sincerely,
Nicholas Terpstra
Provost & Vice-Chancellor

Categories: In Memoriam