Former mayor Morris Flewwelling has received another title to add to his long list of achievements – an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Red Deer College (RDC).

For its 50-year anniversary, RDC decided to present an honorary degree to a member of the community who has made a significant impact on the Central Alberta area. Flewwelling was presented with an Honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

“I was surprised, and recognized that it’s a very high honour. I was quite taken aback by it, honestly,” said Flewwelling.

Flewwelling has long been a supporter of RDC, and has worked for many years to make contributions to the arts community in Alberta. He said that the award is especially significant to him because he has seen RDC evolve over the 50 years since its inception.

“I’ve known all of the people who’ve been engaged in the development of Red Deer College – those that started it, and those that were teachers. Having the recognition from the college is especially meaningful to me.”

Flewwelling is the first person to receive an honorary degree from RDC. His impact on the Red Deer College community can be felt through the many lasting projects he played a role in developing, including the Donald School of Business, the Arts Centre and a permanent art collection.

Perhaps the biggest of these accomplishments is the Arts Centre, which has earned a nationally-renowned reputation for excellence. The centre has a variety of creative departments including musicals, dance, ballet, concerts and other visual arts centres.

“The Arts Centre is all about excellence. It deals with a wide variety of art programs and serves all of Central Alberta, not just Red Deer. I was very sensitive to that when I was developing it. I wanted to make sure we had a theatre, a school of music and access to visual art spaces,” said Flewwelling.

“I think also, it really completes a community to have a centre for arts. I wanted to make sure people had the opportunity to learn and explore what they like. They’d never know if there was no exposure.”

Flewwelling’s vision was for people to recognize Red Deer’s commitment to the arts, and to experience a well-rounded community that celebrates different aspects of culture.

A number of other awards were presented as part of the convocation ceremony. Dr. Don Hepburn received the G.H. Dawe Memorial Award, Randy Harper was named Alumnus of the Year and the Special Alumnus Legacy Award was given to the late Tim Guilbault.

kmendonsa@reddeerexpress.com