The University of King's College is a public liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and Nova Scotian Higher Education in the Nineteenth Century." Anglican and Episcopal History 61 (1991). Established in 1789, it is the oldest chartered university in Canada, and the oldest English-language university in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom. The university is regarded for its Foundation Year Program (FYP), an undergraduate curriculum designed to comprehensively study a variety of intellectual developments—past and present—through great books and ideas. It is also known for its upper-year interdisciplinary programs, particularly in contemporary studies, early modern studies, and the history of science and technology. In addition, the university has a journalism school that attracts students from across the world for its intensive graduate programs in journalism, writing, and publishing.
The university was founded by royal charter in Windsor, Nova Scotia as the King's Collegiate School in 1788, but the school moved to its current location in Halifax after a fire destroyed a large portion of the original university in 1920. The relocation was made possible with the help of Dalhousie University, which has since maintained a joint Faculty of Arts and Sciences with King's, which provides students with access to Dalhousie's facilities and services. Furthermore, students from King's and Dalhousie can enrol in courses offered at either institution as the campuses are located adjacent to each other. Despite this academic partnership, the University of King's College remains independent under its own charter.
History Late 18th century and 19th century During the British evacuation of New York in 1783, Charles Inglis, the rector of Trinity Church, led the flight of Loyalists, later called United Empire Loyalists (UEL), to Windsor, Nova Scotia. In 1788, the resettled Loyalists founded the King's Collegiate School in Windsor, named after King George III. In the following year, the University of King's College emerged from the collegiate while an act was passed for "the permanent establishment and effectual support of a college at Windsor," and £400 per annum was granted towards its maintenance. The college opened in 1790, and received a royal charter from George III in 1802, becoming Canada's first English-speaking, degree-granting university. Even though the University of New Brunswick traces its history to another King's College at Fredericton established in 1785, it did not initially receive degree-granting powers through a Royal Charter until 1827. Similarly, McGill University traces its origins to 1801 but did not receive a Royal Charter until 1821.
Windsor was chosen as the location of the college, as it was described at the time as "a cherished semi-rural retreat for generations of Nova Scotians." A significant reason for the establishment of King's College was to discourage young, male Nova Scotians from studying in the United States, where they might be exposed to republican ideals. The founding of a College or Seminary of learning on a liberal plan in that province [Nova Scotia] where youth may receive a virtuous education and can be qualified for the learned professions, is, we humbly conceive, a member of great consequence, as it would diffuse religious literature, loyalty, and good morals among His Majesty's subjects there.
If such a seminary is not established the inhabitants will have no means of educating their sons at home, but will be under the but will necessity of sending them for that purpose either to Great Britain... or else some of the states of this continent, where they will soon imbibe principles that are unfavourable to the British Constitution.
On this, Inglis, the Archbishop of Nova Scotia and a founder of the college, was clear:...one of the principle motives for pushing [the college] forward was to prevent the importation of American Divines and American politics into the province. Unless we have a seminary here, the youth of Nova Scotia will be sent for their education to the Revolted Colonies—the inevitable consequences would be a corruption of their religious and political principle.
Another significant reason for the founding of the college was to prevent the spread of regional varieties of English in Nova Scotia:A very principal object of the new institution would be accomplished by assimilating the manner of the rising generation to those of the parent state . . . to teach the genuine use, practice and pronunciation of the English language, which in distant colonies is apt to degenerate, and that the purity of the language, undebased by local or national accents and solecisms, is undeniably to be found in the Kingdom of England.
These ideas continued during the development and appointments of the college's board, principals, and faculty. Influence in the development of the college came from the highest levels, including the first Bishop of Nova Scotia and Archbishop of Canterbury. The first Board of Governors include the colony's governor, lieutenant governor, chief justice, the secretary of the colony, the speaker of the House of Assembly, the attorney general, and the solicitor general.
The university was residential, tutorial, and closely tied to the Anglican Church. Only white, Anglican men could attend the college, and during the 19th century these students were required to adhere to the Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church. As a result, several groups were barred from attending, including the Mi'kmaq, Francophones, Catholics, non-Anglican Protestants, and slaves, including those slaves owned by the founders of the town of Windsor.
Other facts Upon discovering the chalice and paten of St. Peter's Anglican Church (West LaHave, Nova Scotia) were being sold in Halifax, Senator William Johnston Almon purchased them and donated them to the King's College Chapel (1891). The chalice is reported to be the oldest Anglican chalice in Canada, dated to c. 1663.F W Vroom. Old Communion Plate in Kings College" Acadiensis. Vol. 3 January 1903.
The Town of Windsor assert that students at King's College invented ice hockey c. 1800 on Long Pond adjacent to the campus. A similar game developed, perhaps independently, in Kingston, Ontario, several years later which has led to occasional confusion about the sport's origins.
The noted Canadian poet Sir Charles G. D. Roberts taught at King's College from 1885 to 1895.John Coldwell Adams, "Sir Charles G.D. Roberts," Confederation Voices, Canadian Poetry, UWO, Web, March 2, 2011.
Early and mid-20th century
On February 5, 1920, a fire consumed many of the university's buildings. Although the cause of the blaze is still unknown, legend states it was caused by students playing with matches in a dormitory. Due to frozen fire hydrants at the time of the event, the blaze could not be put out and a majority of the 28-hectare campus burned to the ground.
In 1922, the Carnegie Foundation offered a conditional grant to rebuild King's College. Among the provisions were that King's College was to be rebuilt in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, and that it was to enter into an association with Dalhousie University. The partnership required King's to pay the salaries of select Dalhousie professors, who, in return, would help manage King's College. In addition, students at King's would be permitted to study at Dalhousie, while Dalhousie students would be permitted to study at King's with the exception of divinity; the granting of all other degrees outlined in the 1802 charter was to be temporarily halted. The conditions were in hope that one day all of Nova Scotia's universities would merge into a single body, much like the University of Toronto. As consolidation was a way to strengthen a small and financially insecure institution, King's College accepted the funding and relocated to the northwest corner of Dalhousie's Studley Campus, at the intersection of Oxford Street and Coburg Road. Alongside the move, the institution renamed itself “University of King's College”. Other universities in Halifax similarly did not follow through with the Carnegie Foundation's merger plan.
In the formative years of King's College, many more types of degrees were offered than the institution offers today; for example, the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law traces its history to the "King's College Law School" that was established in 1892 by King's College (in Windsor). While the University of King's College has never lost nor relinquished interest in these granting powers, they are held in abeyance due to agreements with the University of King's College's partner, Dalhousie University, as part of the agreement to allow the portion of Dalhousie's campus to be used by the University of King's College. In addition, professional education in the 19th century expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law, and medicine — thus, graduate training based on the German model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced at the school.
In 1923, the former site of King's College in Windsor was designated a National Historic Site.
When World War II broke out, King's was requisitioned by the military for the training of naval officers between 1941 and 1945. King's functioned as a "stone frigate", providing a facility for navigation training before officers were sent to their ships. This role is highlighted in the 1943 Hollywood feature film, Corvette K-225, a part of which was filmed on the university campus. The academic life of the college carried on during those years elsewhere in Halifax, aided by Dalhousie University and the United Church's Pine Hill Divinity Hall. In reflection of this naval past, the student bar on campus is known as the HMCS King's Wardroom, often referred to as "The Wardroom" or "The Wardy".
During the war, the Germans would occasionally broadcast names of Allied ships they had sunk. As ships had to keep radio silence, these reports could not be verified, and it was suspected that many were false. Allies circulated lists of non-active ships in the hopes of feeding the Germans misinformation; when the Germans broadcast that they had sunk HMCS King's, their ruse was exposed.
After the war, the campus was returned to the university. The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.
Late 20th century and 21st century
Until the spring of 1971, the university granted graduate theological degrees as well as undergraduate degrees. In the same year, the Faculty of Divinity was moved to Pine Hill, where it was formally amalgamated into the Atlantic School of Theology, an ecumenical venture with the United Church of Canada and the Roman Catholic Church. While this new institution now grants its own degrees, King's holds in abeyance its rights to grant divinity credentials and still continues to grant annual honorary degrees.