Barbara Rae and George Suart Athletic Award in Women’s Basketball Endowment

Barbara Rae was the first woman to graduate from SFU's Executive MBA program (1975), was the first female governor of the Vancouver Board of Trade, and was always the first to give back to her university and its students. Rae attended countless games in her lifetime and was always a mentor, a role model and a true friend of Athletics and its student-athletes.

Among her many awards and honours, is the naming of the Barbara Rae Tower in SFU Residences, and the Barbara Rae Cup, which was the prize awarded to the winner of an SFU vs UBC women's basketball game prior to SFU joining the NCAA.

As chancellor from 1987 to 1993, Rae was an energetic advocate of Athletics, championing the "It's Her Game" campaign which aimed to raise an ambitious $1 million towards financial aid for female student-athletes.

She and her late husband George Suart (former SFU VP, Administration) established the Barbara Rae and George Suart Athletic Award in Women's Basketball Endowment that has awarded financial aid to student-athletes on the women's basketball team since 1988. This past season, five student-athletes benefited from Rae's and Suart's philanthropic generosity. 

"An inspired community leader and advocate, Barbara Rae was a trailblazer and role model for women in business, academics and athletics. She helped create numerous opportunities for women in these fields and we are so very grateful for her decades of service to the university. On behalf of the SFU community, I offer heartfelt condolences to Barbara's family and many friends."

- Joy Johnson, SFU President & Vice-Chancellor