Walter Charles Koerner, (July 21, 1898 – July 21, 1995) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

businessman and philanthropist. Born in Nový Hrozenkov,

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

, he emigrated to Canada in 1938 after serving in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. His family had been involved in the forest industry and continued the tradition in Canada founding the Alaska Pine and Cellulose company. After the company was sold to Rayonier Canada in 1954, Koerner became the president and chairman and retired in 1972. Koerner library (UBC-2009)

Koerner had a long association with the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

including helping the University library, chairing the Board of Governors from 1968 to 1972, and donating his European ceramic art collection to the University in 1987 or 1988. His collection now occupies a small wing of the

Museum of Anthropology at UBC The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is renowned for its displays of world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. As well as ...

. The Walter C. Koerner Library, opened in 1997, is named in his honour. Dr. Walter Koerner was also the serving chairman of the UBC Health Services Centre from 1971 to 1980.Biography of Walter C. Koerner
/ref> In 1967, he was made a Companion of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. In 1990, he was awarded the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier B ...

. Walter Koerner died on his 97th birthday in 1995.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Koerner, Walter 1898 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Canadian businesspeople Companions of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of British Columbia