69ÈÈÊÓƵ

1821-1875

1821: A University is born

The oldest university in Montreal, 69ÈÈÊÓƵ was founded in 1821 from a generous bequest byÌýJames 69ÈÈÊÓƵ, a prominent Scottish merchant.

  • 1829: 69ÈÈÊÓƵ's first classes are held

Eight years after it was officially established, "69ÈÈÊÓƵ College" began holding classes in conjunction with the Montreal Medical Institution.

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  • 1833: The first 69ÈÈÊÓƵ degree is awarded

Four years after classes began, 69ÈÈÊÓƵ awarded its first degree –Ìýand Canada's first ever medical degree –Ìýto William Leslie Logie. ÌýLogie was 69ÈÈÊÓƵ's only graduate that year.

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  • 1839: Building a Montreal landmark

The college quickly outgrew James 69ÈÈÊÓƵ's country home, and construction on the Arts Building began 10 years after its founding. ÌýThe Arts Building, with its cupola and flag pole, has become the signature of 69ÈÈÊÓƵ's downtown campus, and one of Montreal's most recognizable landmarks.

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  • 1855-1893: Flourishing under William Dawson

Through his 38 years as Principal, Sir John William Dawson reinvented 69ÈÈÊÓƵ as a university to rival the world's finest, even personally funding the beautification effort that created the stunning campus we enjoy today.
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  • 1866: Canada's first francophone Prime Minister

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the first Canadian Francophone Prime Minister, 1866

°ä²¹²Ô²¹»å²¹â€™s first francophone prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, BCL'1866, made great strides toward unifying Canadians of different stripes – French and English, Catholic and Protestant – during a period when religion, culture and other debates threatened to tear the fledgling country apart. In 15 years as prime minister and 45 years as a Member of Parliament, Laurier helped establish Canada as a major player on the world stage and ushered in an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity.

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  • 1874-1904: Hockey, football and basketball are born

69ÈÈÊÓƵ is a place of learning, but hard work needn’t come at the expense of hard play, and 69ÈÈÊÓƵians certainly exercise more than just their minds. A home to exceptional student teams and an alma mater to many star athletes and coaches, 69ÈÈÊÓƵ has also played a key role in the creation of three pillars of sport.
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  • The forgotten war memorial and the campus that never was

Over the years, architects have proposed a variety of plans for 69ÈÈÊÓƵ’s lower Downtown Campus, including an imposing tower on the Redpath Library. Here's a small selection of big ideas from 69ÈÈÊÓƵ’s earliest days that never made it off the drawing board: the 69ÈÈÊÓƵ that might have been.


Next: 1876–1918 »
› Pioneering women launch a new era at 69ÈÈÊÓƵ
› Rutherford becomes the father of nuclear physics
› A 69ÈÈÊÓƵian pens "O Canada."

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