The Esprit de Corps Award - Bishop's University

Established in 2011 and awarded periodically, the Esprit de Corps Award recognizes Bishop’s graduates who continue to demonstrate the values and lessons learned at Bishop’s related to compassion for others, community spirit, responsible citizenship, lifelong learning and friendship following graduation.

The last recipients were Mike Lewis ’83, Alex Paterson ’83 and Ken Irving ’84 in 2019.

2019 Esprit de Corps Award recipients – Alex Paterson ’83, Robb Paterson and Mike Lewis ’83
Unfortunately, Ken Irving ’84 could not be on campus to receive his award, but Robb, their Director, who was invaluable to the success of the trio’s performance joined Alex and Mike.

Mike, Alex and Ken were honoured for their performances of Jan Ericsson’s comedy The Men’s Room at the Crow’s Theatre in Toronto. All benefits went to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as 1980s Bishop’s alumni, from as far as Tokyo and the U.K., reunited to reminisce about their days by the mighty Massawippi shore.

Congratulations Mike, Alex and Ken on this well-deserved honour!

History of the Jug

The model of the larger jug dates to the mid-1800s. Local potter Lucy Doheny ’80 painted the jug with the Bishop’s logo. She creates the smaller jugs as mementos for recipients of the Esprit de Corps Award. The cherry wood bases are crafted from trees felled on campus during construction of the Champlain College building in the early 1990s.

The name of the award originates from our school song:

College days will linger ever in our hearts,
Wearing gowns, raising hell and quaffing ale!
And we’ll show esprit de corps
As we watch the gaiters roar
On to victory!

List of past winners

Inaugurated in 2011

2011 Tim Belford ’71
2012 Stan Groves ’81
2013 Eric Cormier ’02 & Eric Desbiens ’99
2014 John Piper ’65, Ace Henderson ’65, John Martland ’64 & Doug Tees ’65*
2015 Peter Neal ’89
2018 David Perlman ’00
2019 Mike Lewis ’83, Alex Paterson ’83 & Ken Irving ’84