Frank Tay (pictured above with Alfred Guender) has made an impact on many people - as a dedicated teacher, supervisor, or mentor. Others may remember him as a fine colleague, a reliable and supportive friend, and, of course, as an agile tennis player which he remains to this very day. He beat Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman on the tennis court, but Frank’s accomplishments go far beyond that.
He helped build the UC Economics department from relative obscurity to one that became internationally recognised in the 1970s and 1980s. Along with Albert Brownlie, he was instrumental in attracting a number of distinguished visitors to UC, among them the Nobel Laureates J. Stiglitz, T. Koopmans, G. Debreu, and many esteemed economists such as C. Kindleberger and R. Clower.
As the Head of the Economics Department (1979 to 1989), Frank created an atmosphere that was conducive to good teaching and producing high-quality research. UC Economics became the leading national training ground for economists well-versed in modern analytical thinking.
Aside from departmental matters, Frank also attended to matters within the wider university. From 1974 to 1977 he was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at UC. While serving as the chair of the UC Library Committee, Frank designed the “Tay formula”, which for many years helped to determine the departmental allocation of library acquisitions. He also had a hand in reforming the structure of the Professorial Board Committee after Albert Brownlie’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor in 1978. Never one to tire, Frank took over as Principal of Rochester and Rutherford Hall in 1989 and remained until 1994.
As a dedicated teacher, Frank sought to motivate and bring out the best in his students. A scholarship bearing Frank Tay’s name to support a deserving UC student each year is a fitting way to recognise Frank’s outstanding service now and in future years.
The establishment of this scholarship provides an opportunity to support economics students in their pursuit of postgraduate study. Please help us achieve our goal by donating to the Frank Tay Scholarship Fund. On behalf of the Department of Economics and Finance we warmly thank you for your support.
The Frank Tay Scholarship Fund aims to reach a target of $250,000 to create a self-sustaining endowment. Once fully endowed, the scholarship will carry on in perpetuity. Former students and colleagues of Frank have contributed generously to the fund to honour his legacy and to promote excellence in Economics.
Professor Jedrzej Bialkowski, Head of Department, Economics and Finance
Associate Professor Alfred Guender, Department of Economics and Finance
Contact the UC Foundation:
Email: donations@canterbury.ac.nz
Phone: +64 3 369 3839
For information about the history behind the Frank Tay Scholarship, contact Alfred Guender alfred.guender@canterbury.ac.nz
