When Ann Ball (BA '88, BA '10) reflects on her years at York University, she remembers an environment alive with thought, debate and possibility. “My overall memory of York is being among students from diverse backgrounds and sensibilities while being instructed by encouraging, creative professors and teaching assistants,” Ann says.
Decades later, those same values continue to guide her decision to leave a legacy gift supporting the George C. Comninel Bursary for the Study of Political Theory in Social and Political Context, honouring the life and work of her late husband, renowned political theorist and York professor George Comninel (MA ’78, PhD ’84).
Ann's own intellectual journey would eventually intersect with George's in a memorable way. When they met on a midnight train travelling from Paris to Barcelona in the early 1970s, neither could have imagined where life would take them. Ann, a Torontonian, and George, a New Yorker, would go on to build a life together in Toronto, united by a shared passion for ideas and community.
For 30 years, he worked exuberantly with waves of students and greatly enjoyed learning that his subversive stories about the ancients, Machiavelli, Marx and revolutions were appreciated. His commitment extended beyond the classroom. George believed deeply in contributing to the university community and public life. Service was the vehicle through which he felt he could make a difference.
For Ann, supporting the bursary is a natural extension of George's life's work. Throughout his academic career, he championed students and understood firsthand the barriers many face in pursuing higher education. “I cannot think of an act more fitting for an academic who is privileged to be in this profession than to support those students who otherwise might not have the means,” she says. “In these political and economic times, with deep and unprecedented cuts to access to education, bursaries can truly make a difference.”
Established in memory of a husband and mentor who believed deeply in the transformative power of education, the bursary helps ensure that future students studying political thought can access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
While George would have been honoured by the support the bursary provides, Ann believes his greatest wish was far simpler. “Really, honestly, just being kind, warm and generous with yourselves and with one another in this tough world would have been plenty for him.”
That spirit of generosity now lives on through the George C. Comninel Bursary, helping future generations of York students pursue their studies and carry forward the values that shaped George's life.