George Munro (November 12, 1825 – April 23, 1896) was a Canadian dime novel publisher and philanthropist, best known for his financial support for Dalhousie University.

[1][4] At this time, Munro began to grow interested in publishing dime novels: reprints of popular works in cheap journals.

[3][5] In May 1877,[1] Munro began publishing the Seaside Library, a low-cost weekly journal reprinting novels,[1][3][4][5] beginning with East Lynne by Henry Wood.

[1] In 1881, the Seaside Library published its thousandth number: the Revised New Testament, with Constantin von Tischendorf's introduction.

[1][2][3] Like his contemporaries publishing before the advent of international copyright laws, Munro did not pay royalties to authors he republished.

[1] His brother-in-law, John Forrest, was a member of the Board of Governors,[2][3] while Munro's son, George William, had studied there between 1874 and 1878.

[5][7] At the time of Munro's donation, Dalhousie University's annual income was only $6,600, and there was significant discussion about the possibility of its closure.

[3][5] Munro was also a benefactor of the City University of New York,[4] where he was a member of the Board of Governors,[3] to Halifax's Citizens' Free Library, to the reading-room of the Amalgamated Trades Union,[3] and to his church: he was a "liberal-minded Presbyterian".

[4] Munro died from heart failure in Pine Hill, New York, on April 23, 1896,[1][4] while attending repairs at his country home in the Catskills.

[2][5][6] It became tradition for students to sleigh-ride along the Bedford Basin on the holiday, followed by a fancy dinner;[5][8] winter sports are still associated with the day.

[6][8] Over the course of the university's history, other activities associated with Munro Day included varsity games, musical performances, and ice skating.