A Tale of Two Cities

A lifelong friendship between two women – one a University of Toronto alumna – has resulted in three gifts to the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Dorothy Ellison, a Toronto resident, died in December 1999 at the age of 78. Ellison received her bachelor of arts in English in 1948 while attending University College, but always maintained an interest in the classics. She would often discuss her passion with her friend Laura Chunosoff of New York City.

The beneficiary of a portion of Ellison’s estate, Chunosoff established a memorial fund in her late friend’s name. The result is two $50,000 Ontario Graduate Scholarships – one in classics and one in English – as well as a $25,000 gift to the classics department. “Dorothy felt that going to U of T was a major event in her life and that it gave her this wonderful background in the classics,” says Chunosoff. “That love stayed with her for the rest of her life.”