Our Trust was formed in remembrance of Ada Rutherford and her loyal dedication to her children and grandchildren. After losing her husband to tuberculosis, she single-handedly raised their two sons whilst teaching — encouraging their interests & activities to a tertiary level. Her tireless commitment to ensuring her two boys received the best education lead to both sons having very successful careers.

The primary focus of the Ada Rutherford Trust is to advance education & research. The Trust recently endowed 2.5 million dollars to the University of Canterbury in order to establish “The Ada Rutherford Professorship in Architectural Engineering” which has implemented a new Masters Degree focused on bridging the gap between engineers and architects. This endowment was made possible thanks to Ada’s son Jim who established the Professorship as a lasting dedication to his mother.