Ted, Loretta and the Rogers family: In the business of educating generations
Ted and Loretta Rogers (Photograph Courtesy of Toronto Metropolitan University Archives)
The Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) has seen exponential growth in its programs, research and reputation since a transformative gift from the Rogers family in 2007. Now often the number-one choice in Canada for undergraduate students interested in business, the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) ties much of its success back to its pioneering naming donor, Ted Rogers (1933-2008) and the Rogers family.
The family’s $15 million gift helped establish the school’s downtown presence at Dundas and Bay Street, in the heart of Toronto’s commercial district and at the edge of the nation’s financial district. TRSM expanded its Bachelor of Commerce degree program offerings to 12, including a Bachelor of Health Administration specialization, and moved into graduate and executive education.
“We first got interested in [TMU],” said Loretta Rogers, “because so many of our employees came through the university. The more we knew about it, the more committed we became.”
Ted (1933-2008) and Loretta (1939-2022) Rogers are remembered as great friends and supporters of TMU. Together with their family and the larger Rogers corporate enterprise, they volunteered their time, engaged with students and faculty, and donated tens of millions of dollars to support excellence in education, entrepreneurship, media production and research.
“We support education,” said Ted Rogers, “because education changes society. It is a very special group of people who attend and work at [TMU]. Our interest in [TMU] stems from its base of entrepreneurs and ‘ordinary Canadians’ rather than ‘suits.’ It’s a real family feeling here.”
Edward Samuel “Ted” Rogers Jr., OC, was president and CEO of telecom giant Rogers Communications Inc. and owner of the Toronto Blue Jays. Loretta Rogers was one of the company’s first investors, and was also one of Ted’s closest business confidants. She was a long-time director of the company and a well-known philanthropist.
The Rogers family’s generosity helped transform the former Ryerson University’s Faculty of Business, founded in 1948, into Canada’s leading diverse entrepreneurial business school. Today’s Ted Rogers School students are trained in a creative and collaborative environment, and are positioned to become tomorrow’s leaders in business.
A lion’s share of the gift was used to form an $8-million endowment fund to be distributed as annual awards and scholarships. The endowment now supports over 100 students annually, and will grow to support even more students. The Rogers gift also established the prestigious Loretta Rogers Research Chair in Digital Enterprise, which attracts top scholars to advance innovation, research and learning at the Ted Rogers School.
Since 2007, TRSM has also grown its research centres, institutes and labs, and strengthened its national and international partnerships and connections throughout the private and public sectors, with industry insiders offering their time, insights and expertise to ensure the relevance of the student experience. In 2011, the school joined the five percent of the business schools worldwide in becoming accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
In 2017, to celebrate the impact of the Rogers family’s gift on its 10th anniversary, the school’s flagship MBA program was named the Ted Rogers Master of Business Administration. The Ted Rogers MBA equips business professionals with the tools to enhance their careers, start their own ventures or improve the social and economic well-being of rural communities. The school’s graduate-level offerings also include a Master of Science in Management, a Professional Master’s Diploma in Accounting, a Master of Health Administration, and a PhD in Management.
Loretta Rogers with student award winner Parvinder Sachdeva in 2013.
An enduring legacy at TMU
The Rogers family’s relationship with the university spans over 50 years, and we have achieved much together. Their investments in our people, programs and campus facilities have strengthened us as an institution and consequently our rank and reputation.
One of the family’s earliest major gifts to TMU was in 1992. They donated $12.5 million and the university named the Rogers Communications Centre (RCC) in honour of Ted’s father, the late Edward S. Rogers Sr.
The Rogers family, Rogers Communications Inc. and associated companies (such as Sportsnet), are some of TMU’s top benefactors. This legacy is evident in TMU’s Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute, Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Sportsnet RTA Production Centre and more. The Rogers support includes that of the next generation of family members, such as Lisa Rogers, who supports the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre at the Ted Rogers School.
By helping to educate and elevate the university experience for students studying business, media production and other industries, the Rogers family’s impact on Canadian society extends throughout the city, across the country, and around the world.