Van and Helen Christou

Thanks to the support of the community, the Dhillon School of Business has established the Van and Helen Christou Scholarship Fund.

Van Christou was a firm believe of hard work, moderation, education and the appreciation of beauty. Acting on these values, Christou was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Lethbridge serving as a member of the U of L’s founding Board of Governors, from 1967 until 1973. From 1975 to 1979, Christou was the University’s third chancellor. Van and his late wife, Helen, secured the first major art donation to the University, the sculpture titled Moses. They had seen the sculpture in the American pavilion at Expo ’67 and succeeded in obtaining the sculpture as a gift from the owner, the House of Seagram Ltd. As pioneers of the U of L’s art collection, the Helen Christou Gallery opened in 2002.

In 1984, the U of L conferred an honorary doctor of laws degree upon Van in recognition of his outstanding community service, especially in regard to the development of higher education, fine arts and culture.

Helen Christou was known for her beauty, graciousness and soft-spoken manner. Working with the YMCA, she became Canada’s representative at the World Alliance of YMCAs in Switzerland.