A former Canadian ambassador to the United States has pledged his $3-million estate to Carleton University's international relations school, the third-largest individual donation in the university's history.

William Barton, who turns 90 in December and has no surviving members in his immediate family, will help establish the William and Jeanie Barton Chair in International Affairs in support of arms control and disarmament studies.

The endowment fund, which is expected to generate more than $150,000 in investment revenues for the university's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, will be launched in 2008 with an undisclosed initial donation amount.

The single largest donation to the university came in 2001 from investment manager and alumnus Eric Sprott, who gave $10 million to Carleton University's business school which was then renamed the Sprott School of Business. Mr. Sprott also established a $5-million endowment for Carleton University in 1997.

Winnipeg-born Mr. Barton, a World War II veteran, has represented Canada at the United Nations Security Council and advised the Brian Mulroney government on the country's chemical and biological warfare research activities, along with helping to found the Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security in 1984, among various other activities in a long and illustrious career.

He has lived in Ottawa for more than half a decade.

Carleton University will announce the endowment today.