Memorial Hall

28 Nov 1916: The Student Association requested that a joint-committee be appointed to build "a memorial for the Graduates and Under Graduates who shall have fallen in the European War" (SM 1904-27, 356). 9 Feb 1917: Senate reports on Senate Committee, Associated Alumni, and the Student's Association meeting wherein it was decided that a memorial to the graduates and undergraduates "who shall have fallen in the European War [should] take the form of a permanent building to be known as 'Memorial Hall' ... devoted to the purpose of a chemical and physical laboratory" (SM 904-27, 360). Senate decided to wait until the end of the war to make public calls for the fund, but thought that "the ground [could be] broken and the nucleus of a fund formed" (SM 904-27, 360). 26 Nov 1918: Appeal for funds to be made to friends and graduates of University (SM 904-27, 398). 18 May 1922: Resolved that a Committee be appointed to consider the feasibility of erecting a Memorial Building during the coming Summer and if they consider such action warranted said Committee to have plans prepared, call for tenders, and in general oversee the erection of such building" (SM 904-27, 496). 28 Nov 1922: Committee reports on fund and presents plans. Suggestion made to plan "the laying of the corner stone... at the time of the Graduates re-union" to be held in 1923 (SM 1904-27, 506-508). 3 July 1923: Lord Byng of Vimy, Governor General of Canada lays the cornerstone of building during Special Convocation at Encaenia. Lord Byng receives honourary L.L.D. (Alumni Bulletin 1.1 (26 Jul 1923), 15-17). According to the 1923 President's Report, City Council contributed $25,000 to assist in the construction of the building; The Provincial Government passed an Act contributing $50,000 towards the construction; and the President of the Senate "deposited a sealed copper receptacle containing various papers, coins, etc., in the hollow provided for the purpose (PR 1922-1923, 150-151) 16 May 1924: Encaenia held in Memorial Building. 25 Nov 1924: Committee appointed to erect a "suitable tablet containing an Honor Roll of those connected with the Unviersity, who were killed in the Great War" (SM 1904-27, 558). 19 May 1925: During Encaenial exercises and Alumni reunion, Memorial Hall is dedicated. In addition to housing several individual and collective memorials to students who died during the First World War, the building serves as classroom and laboratory space for the departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Electrical Engineering. December 1947: Alumni News announces that Memorial Hall will become a student centre as a fitting memorial to those soldiers who died in the Second World War. Senate has agreed in principle to the change. The Physics and Chemistry departments will be accommodated in a new Science building (AN 2.1 (Dec 1947): 3).