ALUMNI BULLETIN
ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | 100th Anniversary Edition
Vol.1, No. 1 July 1923
An honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon Lord Byng of Vimy, Governor General of Canada at a special convocation held at the University Tuesday afternoon, July 3rd.
This ceremony was followed by laying of the corner stone by His Excellency of the new Memorial Building at the University, the construction of which is just being undertaken and which when completed will cost more than $150,000 and will be an outstanding addition to the present University buildings.
Large numbers of visitors, including many members of the Associated Alumni as well as a number of undergraduates, attended the special convocation, the occasion being a most pleasing one, while the ceremony of laying the corner stone was most appropriate, marking as it did the first material step by the University in commemorating the memory of her fallen heroes by one under whom they had fought and died in the great war.
The academic procession was formed in the biological lecture room shortly after three o'clock, after which the members took their seats on the platform with Hon. W. F. Todd, LL.D., Lieutenant Governor as honorary chairman. The first address on the programme of the afternoon was that delivered by the Chancellor, Dr. C. C Jones, who briefly thanked His Excellency on behalf of the University for his acceptance of the University's invitation to attend and lay the corner stone of the building on that occasion. The Chancellor was followed by His Honor Justice Crocket who addressed the assemblage explained the plan and purpose of the new building to be erected. His address was as follows:
"May it please Your Excellency, Your Honor, Mr. Chancellor, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am sure that we are all delighted that the University of New Brunswick is being honored as it is today by this timely visit from His Excellency The Governor General of Canada in the distinguished person of Lord Byng of Vimy, whose name will always live, not only in the hearts of the gallant soldiers of this loyal Dominion of the British Crown who fought under His Excellency's command in the Great War, but in the hearts of all the loyal people of Canada."
"It is indeed an auspicious circumstance that the construction of the Memorial Hall, to which the sons and daughters and friends of this University have looked forward since the close of the war, and which is designed to perpetuate the honored memories of her sons who fell in the great conflict, should have been commenced almost simultaneously with the announcement or His Excellency's first visit to Fredericton, so as to permit of the laying of its corner stone at this time by the hands of the distinguished victor of Vimy, the honoured commander of the famous Canadian Corps., in whose ranks so many of them died so gloriously.
"It is interesting in connection with the important event which we are about to witness to recall the fact that 97 years ago-in the summer of 1826
-the corner stone of this noble edifice, in which we are now· assembled was laid by the hand of another great British soldier, Major General Sir Howard Douglas, Bt., who, at that time represPnted bis beloved Soverign King George the Fourth, as tha LieutE;11a!'t Governor of the Province o[ New Brunswick and Commander-inChief of His Majesty's troops in this Province, as well as of those in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Bermuda, and who in another great conflict of arms,-the Peninsular War-had previously performed illustrious military service for the Great Empire, of which New Brunswiclr is still so proud to form a part.
with the announcement or His Excellency's first visit to Fredericton, so as to permit of the laying of its corner stone at this time by the hands of the distinguished victor of Viruy, the honoured commander of the famous Canad• ian Cori)s, in whose ranl,s so many of them died so gloriously.
"It is interesting in connection with the important event which we are about to witness to recall tli.e fact that 97 years ago-in the summer of 1826
-the corner stone of this noble edifice, in which we are now· assembled was laid by the hand of another great British soldier, Major General Sir Howard Douglas, Bt., who, at that time represPnted bis beloved Soverign King George the Fourth, as tha LieutE;11a!'t Governor of the Province o[ New Brunswick and Commander-inChief of His Majesty's troops in this Province, as well as of those in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Bermuda, and who in another great conflict of arms,-the Peninsular War-had previously performed illustrious military service for the Great Empire, of which New Brunswiclr is still so proud to form a part.
with the announcement or His Excellency's first visit to Fredericton, so as to permit of the laying of its corner stone at this time by the hands of the distinguished victor of Viruy, the honoured commander of the famous Canad• ian Cori)s, in whose ranl,s so many of them died so gloriously.
"It is interesting in connection with the important event which we are about to witness to recall tli.e fact that 97 years ago-in the summer of 1826
-the corner stone of this noble edifice, in which we are now· assembled was laid by the hand of another great British soldier, Major General Sir Howard Douglas, Bt., who, at that time represPnted bis beloved Soverign King George the Fourth, as tha LieutE;11a!'t Governor of the Province o[ New Brunswick and Commander-inChief of His Majesty's troops in this Province, as well as of those in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Bermuda, and who in another great conflict of arms,-the Peninsular War-had previously performed illustrious military service for the Great Empire, of which New Brunswiclr is still so proud to form a part.
Vol. 9, No. 1 June 1931
The booming of cannon at an early hour on the morning following Encaenia, from College Hill, gave a time-mellowed, colorful finish to ceremonies attending the annual graduation exercises at the University. Heavy rain attended the informal salute to the fifty-four young men and women awarded their degree-parchments in the afternoon, the salute taking place as usual after the encaenia dance in the Memorial Building. The number of rounds fired fell far short of the number of graduates, the size of the class in recent years making it impossible to devote one round to each member. What was lacking in quantity, however, was more than made up by the spirit of the occasion, in spite of the weather. No mishaps attended the saluting and at the conclusion the gun was turned over to members of next year's senior class. The field gun used was an old muzzle-loader "borrowed" by under-graduates some time ago.
Vol. 9, No. 1 June 1931
A recent placing of the Library of the University upon a modern and systematic basis has disclosed that the University possesses valuable books which were not generally known to the public, also that donations to the Library began upwards, of one hundred years ago. The College of New Brunswick, as the Institution was known from its foundation in 1800 to 1828, does not seem to have marked its books, but King's College, Fredericton, which was the name of the Institution from 1828 to 1860, has its ownership plates in many volumes. The plate is of the plainest type.
Among the early donations were those from the Library of the late Archdeacon Simonds of Fredericton given by his widow about 1830. Another series of donations made much later, but having particular interest in Fredericton and vicinity, were those of the late Senator Daniel J. Hennessey of Butte, Mont., who presented many books as memorials to the late Rev. James C. McDevitt, for many years parish priest of Fredericton and pastor of St. Dunstan's Church. One of the most valuable sets of books given by Senator Hennessey is the Jesuit Relations and kindred subjects. This edition was limited and is of recognized value as reference material.
The capacity of the stackroom of the Library is about 100,000 volumes, and at present about 25,000 are on the shelves, leaving abundant room for expansion. The Libraries of the civil and electrical engineering courses and of the forestry course have been taken from the separate buildings where they were and united with the University library.
The oldest volume discovered in the possession of the University so far is the theological book in Latin dated 1588. Almost as old is another theological work in English dated 1591. Another volume considerably more recent bears the date 1671.
Vol. 9, No. 1 June 1931
The Forestry and Geology Building and the Library Building of the University of New Brunswick, were formally dedicated on May 12, 1931, at the gathering in the main reading room of the Library. This is the first public purpose to which the Library has been put since its erection, although it has been used by the University for some months past. The gathering in the presence of which the dedication took place, was one of distinction, not only to the professions of forestry and mining being represented, but also the Provincial administration, the Alumni of the University and the general public. An academic procession was formed in the Arts Building at 2:30 in the afternoon and the dedicatory exercises began in the Library at three o'clock. The invocation was pronounced by Very Rev. Scovil Neales, M.A.S.S., Dean of Fredericton, himself a distinguished alumnus of the University. This was followed by an introductory address by President Dr. C.C. Jones, who traced the growth of the institution and praised the foresight of its founders. His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, visitor on behalf of His Majesty, then addressed the distinguished gathering. He was followed by Hon. C.C. Richards, LL.D., Minister of Lands and Mines, and by Hon. D.A. Stewart, Minister of Public Works.
Vol. 6, No. 2 June 1928
Dr. Brydone-Jack was, upon the forced retirement of Dr. Hea, appointed President of the University and delivered his inaugural in 1861. In closing his address, he calls upon all students "to throw aside old prejudices and to give the new order of things a fair and friendly trial upon its merits:' Things surely had been changed.
First there was the change in the name of the institution. Dr. Robb had died somewhat suddenly during the year and was succeeded by Loring W. Bailey, B.A., of Harvard, who was to hold the chair for forty-six years. Prof. G. Montgomery-Campbell, B.A., Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge, was appointed to succeed Dr. Jacob in the chair of Classics. It is probable that no professor in ten years' work in the University influenced his students as much along the line of scholarship as did Professor Montgomery-Campbell. Professor Marshall d'Avray had been appointed to the chair of Modern Languages several years before.
And so King's College is a thing of left with the past and the University of New Brunswick is launched fairly on its way.
