31 July 2008

Exchange brings American Medical Students to Forfar

Photo call: 1st August 2008 2:30pm at Angus Archives, The Hunter Library, Restenneth Priory Forfar

American medical students on a new exchange programme at the University of Dundee's School of Medicine will be visiting The Hunter Library, Restenneth Priory, Forfar, to meet trustee representatives of the sponsor, The Graham Hunter Foundation.

The Hunter Library houses Angus Council’s Angus Archives, which provides resources and facilities for researching family histories and genealogy.

American students Melissa Kreuger, and Karen Patricia are both currently in Dundee for four weeks as the first students to take part in the Siena College/Albany Medical School and University of Dundee Medical School exchange programme. Accompanying them on their visit is Dr. Edward LaRow, programme director for the Siena College/Albany Medical School based in Albany New York, USA.

While in Dundee the students program has been arranged through the Tayside Centre for General Practice, Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Dundee.

They are visiting the Hunter Library, which was built by Graham Hunter who founded the Graham Hunter Foundation, based in New York. The foundation supports Scottish Charities with annual contributions to continue the interest in Scotland and things Scottish and encourage ‘hands across the seas’ between the United States and Scotland.

In 2009, two students from University of Dundee Medical School will go to Albany Medical School. New York for the reciprocal exchange from Scotland.

Notes for Editors

About the Graham Hunter Foundation, Inc.:

Graham Hunter (George Graham Guthrie Hunter) 1889-1972 was the second son and seventh of eleven children of William George Hunter, 11th Laird of Burnside, Forfarshire, Scotland. Graham had an enduring interest in Scotland and kept a collection of family papers. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he emigrated to Canada and subsequently moved to the United States where he prospered in textiles and carpet manufacturing businesses.

In 1946 he established the Graham Hunter Foundation, Inc. in "memory of my son David Douglas Hunter and all others from the United States, Great Britain and its colonies who gave their lives in World War II with the hope we may live in peace." The aim of the Foundation was to perpetuate an interest in Scotland and things Scottish and encourage ‘hands across the seas’ between the United States and Scotland. Over the years, he collected a library of Scottish History, and an extensive display of arms, armour and artefacts, which were housed, in his New York City brownstone house.

In the 1970’s he built a Library near Forfar to house his books and collections. The Library overlooks the ancient monument of Restenneth Priory on land, which had once been part of the Burnside Estate. During his lifetime he published a genealogy of the Hunters of Burnside and Dod, and other books on Scottish History. The archive of family papers and local history has been digitised for all under a lottery funded project, ‘Unlock the Boxes’.

Recently, Angus Council moved its Angus Archives to the Library as part of a partnership with the Graham Hunter Foundation on a long-term lease.

The Graham Hunter Foundation, based in New York State, United States continues to support Scottish Charities with annual contributions. A new Medical Scholars Exchange Programme between Albany Medical College (Siena/Albany Medical College Programme) New York and University of Dundee Medical College has been set up. A group of American students are currently in July, 2008 and the Scottish students will go to New York in February 2009. It is hoped that the research from this collaboration will be developed and used to better the lives of those individuals served by family medicine physicians in both the USA and Scotland.

For more information contact:
Bruce & Jeudi Hunter
Trustees, The Graham Hunter Foundation
Restenneth Priory
Forfar, Angus DD8 2SZ
Tel. 01307 463101
Email: bruce.hunter1@btinternet.com

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk