Mount Royal University
Overview
Mount Royal University was founded on December 16, 1910, by Alberta provincial charter under the Arthur Sifton government and officially opened on September 8, 1911. Originally “Mount Royal College”, the institution was the brainchild of Calgary Reverend George W. Kerby (1860-1944) who sought an opportunity for higher education to benefit young people from rural homes in the area. The provincial charter as presented in the legislature by R. B. Bennett was titled “Bill 48, An Act respecting the Calgary College“. However, Premier Sifton, Kerby, and others agreed not to use Calgary for the name of the new college.
In 1931, Mount Royal became a post-secondary institution as Mount Royal Junior College (MRC), offering transfer courses to the University of Alberta and later to the University of Calgary. In 1972, Mount Royal moved from several buildings in downtown Calgary to a new campus in Lincoln Park on land previously used as an air force base. A war memorial honour roll is dedicated to Mount Royal alumni who have volunteered for active service in the Canadian Forces.