• Chapter 1 History
• Chapter 2 course experiences
• Chapter 3 Campus services
• Chapter 4 Campus treats
• Chapter 6 SAMRU
• Chapter 7 Student tips
• Chapter 8 Around MRU
• Chapter 10 Scholarships and Bursaries

Chapter 1 History

*Insert a Picture*

 

Mount Royal: A Timeline 

1900's

September 1905 Province of Alberta established

September 1908 University of Alberta begins operation

1910's

August 1910 Initial meeting of Mount Royal College Board of Governors

November 1910 Board appoints Rev. George W. Kerby as Principal

December 1910 Mount Royal College Art

September 7 1911 Mount Royal College opens for first classes

Canada joins Great Britain in First World War

1920's

June 1925 United Church established and Mount Royal becomes a secondary school affiliated with the new church

Fall 1929 Commencement of the Great Depression

1929 First College gymnasium opens

1930's

1931 Affiliation agreement signed with University of Alberta, making Mount Royal a “junior college” and eliminating primary and junior high-school education

1937 Mount Royal College Symphony established by Jascha Galperin

1940's

June 1942 Dr. George W. Kerby retires as Principal

July 1942 Rev. John H. Garden appointed Principal

1944 Revised Act makes college a “junior college” by legislation

1950's

1958 Principal Garden Departs

January 1959 William John (Jack) Collett becomes Principal

1960's

1965 Board seeks conversion to a public college under the Junior Colleges Act, with a board representing the public and Catholic separate boards and existing board of governors

1966 Mount Royal College Act amended to change name to George W. Kerby College, freeing name for use by a public college

August 30 1966 Mount Royal Junior College Act passed and proclaimed

September 1966 Mount Royal Junior College commences operations, under guidance of Board of Trustees

January 1967 First two-year diploma-based nursing program in Canada begins

March 1967 President Collett departs; replaced by Ralph W. McCready, Acting President

July 1 1968 President Walter Pentz takes office

1968 Student Association of Mount Royal College incorporated (SAMRU)

1969 The Colleges Act passed; Colleges Commission established

1970's 

1972 Lincoln Park campus opens

1975 President Pentz departs; Douglas M. Lauchlan named Acting President, then President in 1976

1980's

1980 President Lauclan departs

July 1980 Dr. Donald N. Baker becomes president

1987 Wyckham House Student Centre Opens

August 1989 President Baker departs

September 1989 Thomas L. Wood becomes Acting President; appointed President 1990

A New Millenium

August 31 2003 President Wood departs

2003 David G. Marshall becomes President

2009 Premier Ed Stemach presides over ceremony to launch Mount Royal University

Dec. 16, 2010 Mount Royal University officially turned 100 years old

Fall 2011 David Docherty installed as President 

 

History

Reverend George William Kerby born on a farm in Lambton County, Ontario. He attended Victoria University, graduating in 1888 with an honours BA in theology and philosophy.  In October 1888, he married Emily Spencer, a principal of an elementary school in Ontario.

In 1910, Rev. Dr. George William Kerby (key member of the minister of Calgary Methodist Church) became the first principal of the private Methodist institution. 

The first major transformation that Mount Royal underwent was becoming a university which occurred in 1931, when it became a “junior college” in affiliation with the University of Alberta. 

In 1946, Mount Royal joined the American Association of Junior Colleges.

From 1958 to 1966, the college grew from 593 students to 1452 in academic programs, an increase of 145 percent.

On October 4 1966, Lieutenant Governor Grant MacEwan proclaimed the act changing the name from Mount Royal College Board of Governors to George W. Kerby College Board of Governors.

From 1966 to 1972 were both a productive and a contentious time. The college had a new legal footing, a new board, a new collegial body (academic council), a new administrative structure, legally established faculty and students’ associations, a collective agreement with the faculty, a huge change in scale(near doubling of enrolment, trebling in employee), an expanded program roster, a changed student body, and a new public image. 

Reference: 

Baker, D. (2011). Catch The Gleam. Canada: Houghton Boston.

 

Interesting Facts:

I set out to write this article about the Cougar Mascot at Mount Royal. What I found was far more interesting:

Mount Royal had a women’s hockey team in 1928.

In the 1930’s, a poll at Mount Royal gave the following results: 55% of the respondents thought that young women should be able to attend a dance without a male escort.

Mount Royal had cheerleading from 1951 to the early 1960’s.

In 1966, students held a “Las Vegas” night, which included “bunny girls”…hmmm.

In 1970, Mount Royal Students kidnapped the current Mayor of Calgary, Rod Sykes (It was for a charity event).

In the early 1970’s, when Mount Royal moved into Lincoln Hall, teaching spaces were created using movable cubicle walls.

In 2009, some of the female faculty opposed the Mount Royal ID card being called the “Cougar Card”.

In the early 2000’s, David Bissett donated $12 million to Mount Royal, the largest donation ever given to a Canadian College.

The stained glass windows currently hanging in EA were once installed in the Chapel of the Kerby Memorial Building in 1951. 

In fall 2011, Mount Royal accepted a student who was previously convicted of three accounts of first-degree murder.

In 2012, the Mount Royal Student Association President was accused of robbing a credit union.

Oh yeah, and the Cougar team mascot emerged in the 1960’s.

 

Important Mount Royal Alumni include:

Feist (musician)

Allison Redford (current Alberta premier)

Ralph Klein (former Alberta premier)

Bret Hart (professional wrestler)

Doris Anderson (Chatelaine Magazine editor)

Mark Laurie (photographer)