University of King's College
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The University of King's College, established in 1789, is in Halifax,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
, Canada.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). It is the oldest chartered university in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and the oldest English-speaking university in the Commonwealth outside the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. The university is regarded for its Foundation Year Program, a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of Western culture through
great books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...
, designed for first-year undergraduates. It is also known for its upper-year interdisciplinary programs – particularly its contemporary studies program, early modern studies program, and its history of science and technology program. In addition, the university has a
journalism school A journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. 'J-School' is an increasingly used term for a journalism department at a school or college. Journalists in most parts of the ...
that attracts students from across the world for its intensive
Master of Journalism A Master of Journalism (abbreviated M.J., M.S.J., M.M.J.C., M.A. in Journalism, or M.S. in Journalism) is a master's degree awarded to students who have studied journalism at a graduate level. Like other master's degree programs, master of journ ...
programs and its
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in
creative nonfiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction or literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contra ...
, the first of its kind in Canada. Its undergraduate journalism programs are known for leading content in digital formats. Although the university was first established as the King's Collegiate School in
Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for sev ...
in 1788, a fire destroyed the original university in 1920, and the institution relocated to Halifax. The relocation was made possible with the help of
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
, which has since maintained a joint faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with King's. This partnership provides students at King's with full access to Dalhousie’s facilities and services. Despite this partnership, King's remains independent under its own charter. The university is located on the northwest corner of the
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
campus.


History


Late 18th century and 19th century

King's College traces its origins to the King's College of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. On 31 October 1754,
King George II of Great Britain , house = Hanover , religion = Protestant , father = George I of Great Britain , mother = Sophia Dorothea of Celle , birth_date = 30 October / 9 November 1683 , birth_place = Herrenhausen Palace,Cannon. or Leine ...
issued the charter for King's College within New York City, establishing it as the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and the fifth-oldest in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. In 1776, during the eruption of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, studies at the university halted for the subsequent eight years. During this period, the college's library was looted, and its sole building was requisitioned for use as a military hospital first by American and then British forces. When Patriots took over the university, Bishop Charles Inglis, the rector of Trinity Church, led the flight of
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
to
Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for sev ...
. After the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, the old institution was resuscitated and eventually renamed Columbia College, which would develop into
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. In 1788, these resettled Anglican Loyalists founded the King's Collegiate School in Windsor. During the following year, the University of King's College emerged from the collegiate. In the same year, 1789, an act 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 A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
from
King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
in 1802, becoming Canada's first university. Even though the
University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Ameri ...
traces its history to King's College at Fredericton, which was established in 1785, it did not initially receive university powers and did not receive a Royal Charter until 1827. Similarly,
McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
traces its origins to 1801 but did not receive a Royal Charter until 1821. The university was generally modelled on older English universities which were residential, tutorial, and closely tied to the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. With its strong Anglican affiliation, all students at King's College were required to adhere to the 39 Articles of the
Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
during the 19th century. Upon discovering the chalice and paten of
St. Peter's Anglican Church (West LaHave, Nova Scotia) St. Peter's Anglican Church is a church in West LaHave, Nova Scotia (formerly New Dublin) that was established in 1818 by Roger Aitken, the missionary at Lunenburg for Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (1817-1825). The f ...
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. The Town of Windsor assert that students at King's College invented
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
c. 1800 on Long Pond adjacent to the campus. (A similar game developed, perhaps independently, in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
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 the university campus. Though the cause of the blaze is still unknown, tradition states it was caused by students "playing with matches" in a dormitory. Due to frozen fire hydrants, the blaze could not be put out and the buildings 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 Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine
; 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 The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
. King's College accepted the funding, and relocated adjacent to Dalhousie's Studley Campus, at the corner 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 The University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law is the second oldest university-based common law Faculty in the Commonwealth.Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...
by King's College (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. Consolidation was a way to strengthen this small and financially insecure institution. In the early part of this century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced. In 1923, the former site of King's College in Windsor was designated a National Historic Site. When
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
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 A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...
", 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 ''Corvette K-225'' is a 1943 American war film starring Randolph Scott and James Brown, with Ella Raines making her feature film debut. Directed by Richard Rosson, the film was released in the UK as ''The Nelson Touch''. Robert Mitchum, cred ...
'', 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 Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is a Canadian public ecumenical university that provides graduate level theological education and undertakes research to assist students to prepare for Christian ministries and other forms of public leadership. ...
, 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. In 1972, King's faculty and alumni created the Foundation Year Program (FYP), a first-year
great books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...
course that would count for four of a student's five first-year credits. The program consisted of six sections from The Ancient World to The Contemporary World, in which students would read the work of major philosophers, poets, historians and scientists, receive lectures from a range of experts in all these areas, write critical papers and engage in small-group discussion and tutorials. The program initially had 30 students; it now draws almost 300 a year, most of whom live in residence on campus. Many of those who taught in the program in its early days were colleagues and students of the philosopher
James Doull James Alexander Doull (1918–2001) was a Canadian philosopher and academic who was born and lived most of his life in Nova Scotia. His father was the politician, jurist, and historian John Doull. Biography From the late 1940s until the mid-1980 ...
, who exercised a considerable degree of influence on the program in its formative stages. In 1989, Doull was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university. In 1977, King's introduced two Bachelor of Journalism programs: a four-year honours degree and a one-year compressed degree for students who already hold a bachelor's degree. In 1989, a campus library building was erected to commemorate the bicentennial of the university. It replaced a smaller library in the Arts and Administration building. The library has won numerous architectural awards. In 2000, the same architect designed the school's New Academic Building. In 2001, additional residence rooms were added in the basement of Alexandra Hall to accommodate some of the new students. Residence can currently accommodate 274 students, and nearly all on-campus living spaces are reserved for FYP students, though some spaces are reserved for upper-year students. All buildings on the present campus are celebrated reconstructions and derivations of the buildings of the original 1789 campus in
Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for sev ...
. A system of tunnels connects the residences to the other buildings of the campus: a feature common to North American universities, and particularly common to many institutional buildings in Halifax. The King's Library houses an impressive collection not only of rare Anglican church documents, but also a vast collection of original artwork, Renaissance and medieval books, and extensive archival material of relevance both to the history of Nova Scotia and the university. It also has some ancient artifacts, along with the Weldon Collection of fine imported china. Many of the rare books stem from the original, private collection of university founder, Charles Inglis. Recently, the blueprints for the buildings of the current campus were consulted in the library to restore the famed cupola crowning the A&A Building to its original, 1920s condition. In 1993, King's created the Contemporary Studies program. In 1999, King's launched the Early Modern Studies program. In 2000, King's commenced the History of Science and Technology program. Each of these programs can constitute one component of a jointly conferred combined honours degree with Dalhousie. The Upper Year Program, like the Foundation Year Program, place a strong emphasis on historical contextualized, interdisciplinary study as opposed to traditional university
departmentalization Departmentalization (or departmentalisation) refers to the process of grouping activities into departments. Division of labour creates Expert, specialists who need :wikt:coordination, coordination. This coordination is facilitated by grouping specia ...
. Today, there are over 1,000 students at King's, which represents significant growth over enrolment in the 1960s and 1970s. Its first-year class is made up mainly of Foundation Year Program students. In 2001, the FYP class was 274 students, with slightly over a hundred of these students coming from
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. The growing number of students from out of province reflects King's growing academic reputation and its transformation from a small, local college to a nationally acclaimed university. However, King's maintains strong ties to its host city and province and the number of Nova Scotians attending King's rose 23 per cent between 1994 and 2004. The largest ever FYP class was in 2004, with 309 students. However, the administration has resolved to cap future classes at just under 300. With improved retention rates, the school's population looks to stabilize at around 1,200 in future years. The number of students leaving after first year has dropped significantly since the introduction of the upper year inter-disciplinary programs. King's' transformation from a small college catering mainly to local Anglican students into a more intellectually cosmopolitan university with a strong national profile has been a resounding success. In terms of teaching quality, King's has been placed in the same academic league as top Canadian research universities like McGill and Toronto. One recent academic commentator summed up King's growing renown for its quality of teaching and eccentric student culture by remarking "If there is a Harvard of the North, it’s more likely King’s than McGill — although a better analogy would be a cross between Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and Camp Wanapitei in Temagami." The new programs, combined with a rigorous set of academic expectations and a cooperative academic culture, have proven a hit with high achieving high school students. Conservative estimates put the entrance average of first year King's students at 87%, or a strong A in Canadian high school marks. In October 2003, Dr. William Barker was installed as president and vice-chancellor, replacing Dr.
Colin Starnes Colin John Starnes is a professor, author, and former President of the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Starnes joined the faculty of King's in 1972, and the Dalhousie University faculty in 1977. He taught at both of ...
. Dr. Barker and the rest of the university administration have declared that King's has grown as much as it can and should. They describe the coming years as "a time of consolidation", with a focus on retention and development of new programs. The university's growth has changed some King's traditions. Formal meals, with Latin grace and academic gowns, formerly held at regular intervals, were suspended from 2001 until 2003. Only with the arrival of Dr. Barker were they reinstated. They now take place on the first Wednesday of every month. In July 2006, the King's Student Union founded the King's Co-op Bookstore; it stocks every title on the FYP Reading List, as well as all necessary books for King's other courses and a number of Dalhousie courses and general interest fiction and non-fiction. The bookstore is a student-owned co-operative which functions separately from both the student union and the university. King's College administration has not avoided controversy. After the
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cleaning staff unionized in 2004, the housekeeping contract was awarded to a different company during the summer. The King's Student Union had been involved in encouraging the workers to unionize in order to improve their working conditions, and there were strenuous objections to the awarding of the new contract. The University of King’s College's arms were registered with the
Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for th ...
on August 15, 2007.


Academics

King's best known program is its Foundation Year Program (FYP) for first year students, an intensive survey course of history, philosophy, and literature in the western tradition. The ''Contemporary Studies Program'' (CSP), the ''Early Modern Studies Program'' (EMSP), and the ''History of Science and Technology Program'' (HOST) are offered jointly with
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
as combined honours degrees requiring a second honours discipline. If the students decide to do a King's subject as their primary honours subject, they are required to write an honours thesis, varying in length from program to program. A Bachelor of Journalism program is offered as either a four-year honours degree or an intensive one-year program to students already holding a bachelor's degree. King's College and Dalhousie University also jointly offer a 10-month Master of Journalism program and a two-year limited residency Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Nonfiction program. King's students generally take FYP in their first year and choose a specific degree program to pursue in their final three years. Most students at King's take at least some classes through programs at Dalhousie University. With the exception of the journalism program, King's students graduate with joint degrees from King's and Dalhousie. King's students are eligible to complete these degrees in any subject from Dalhousie's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences or Faculty of Science.


Foundation Year Program

The Foundation Year Program is a core-text
program Program, programme, programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program management, the process of managing several related projects * Time management * Program, a part of planning Arts and entertainment Audio * Progra ...
for first-year students; it surveys the history of western thought and culture from
ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
to the
present day The present (or here'' and ''now) is the time that is associated with the events perceived directly and in the first time, not as a recollection (perceived more than once) or a speculation (predicted, hypothesis, uncertain). It is a period of ...
. It has been offered since 1972. The course has traditionally been divided into six sections. The Foundation Year Program (FYP) has been described by the
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada Universities Canada (french: Universités Canada) is an organization that represents Canada's universities. It is a non-profit national organization that coordinates university policies, guidance and direction. Formed in 1911, as the Association ...
as having "a national reputation for excellence as an alternative first-year of undergraduate studies", and is regarded as a prototype for similar programs elsewhere; the principal Canadian news magazine
Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
expresses the view in a discussion of small, specialized undergraduate programs in Canada that "it's unlikely that any of the other programs would exist if not for the Foundation Year at King's". In both 2008 and 2009, the FYP program had been ranked first in Canada by the National Survey of Student Engagement.


Student life


Traditions

Once every two months, formal meals are held. Students wearing traditional academic gowns are led into the meal hall by a bagpiper. Once they have found their seat, a Latin grace is said. Afterwards, the catered meal begins. These meals were formerly held at regular intervals, but were suspended from 2001 until 2003. They were reinstated during the presidency of William Barker at his behest. The UKing's Literary Society (formerly the Haliburton Society), a student-run literary society, has hosted discussions concerning poetry and prose since 1884. The society remains the longest-standing university literary society throughout the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
and
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. The society took its original name from the Canadian politician
Thomas Chandler Haliburton Thomas Chandler Haliburton (17 December 1796 – 27 August 1865) was a Nova Scotian politician, judge, and author. He made an important political contribution to the state of Nova Scotia before its entry into Confederation of Canada. He was the ...
. It adopted its current name in 2020, as a result of a long-standing controversy over Haliburton's pro-slavery views.


Residence

The residences are built in the
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
style typical of the original campus. Each "bay", as the original residences were termed in Windsor, is modelled on the system of 'staircases' at England's
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. Each has also been named with a seemingly ironic moniker: North Pole Bay sits atop the university's boiler rooms, and is arguably the warmest location on campus; Chapel Bay is named after the campus chapel, but is located the furthest distance from it; Radical Bay originally housed the refined, quiet divinity students; Middle Bay, which was named for its location as it is between Chapel and Radical, is named ironically as being the only non-ironic name; in addition, there is Cochran Bay, named after the first president of the College, William Cochran, and is the closest to the campus chapel. Often residence-wide parties, known as 'bay parties,' occurred, but were cancelled for in 2003. However, there was a brief a revival during the 2005-2006 school year, with both Radical Bay and Cochran Bay hosting several highly successful events. In place of this tradition, each Bay now organizes a themed-event on campus during different times of the school year. Another consequence of increased enrolment has been a more unbalanced composition of the residences. Traditionally, students from all years of study have lived in residence, but increasingly, very few upper year students continue to live on campus, thus making way for more first years. In 2006, Alexandra Hall, traditionally the all-women's residence, was made co-ed for the first time with rooms in the basement alternating between male and female occupants as well as one wing of the first floor becoming all-male. In addition, two of the five bays were re-converted to co-ed living spaces in 2006.


Annual events


Alex Fountain Memorial Lecture

Since 2011, an annual memorial lecture is given by an individual chosen each year by the student body. After a nomination process at the beginning of the winter semester, a long list of twenty is narrowed to a short list of ten by student election. The short list is then prioritized by a student committee, which includes the program directors and president. The lecture is free, open to the public, and concludes in a question and answer period. Previous lecturers and lectures include
Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
on 'Building Social Change Locally and Globally', Charles Taylor on 'Is Democracy in Danger?',
Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...
on 'Mongrel art: A discussion of literature and its neighbours',
Jan Zwicky Janine Louise Zwicky (born 10 May 1955) is a Canadian philosopher, poet, essayist, and musician. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022. Life and career Zwicky received her BA from the University of Calgary and earned her PhD at the U ...
on 'What Meaning Is and Why It Matters', and
Tanya Tagaq Tanya may refer to: * Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. * Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name * Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946) * List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tany ...
on 'Climate, culture, and collaboration', as well as Canadian author
Joseph Boyden Joseph Boyden (born October 31, 1966) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer of Irish and Scottish descent. He also claims Indigenous descent, but this is widely disputed. Joseph Boyden is best known for writing about First Nations culture ...
. The event is held in memorial after Alex Fountain, a student who died by suicide on 22 August 2009 at the age of 20. His family donated $1 million to the mental health program at the
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is a large teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Centre affiliated with Dalhousie University. The QEII cares for adult patients. Pediatric patients within the region are c ...
, as well as additional contributions to other mental health programs at Dalhousie University, the IWK Health Centre and Capital Health. In addition, they founded the lecture series.


Athletics

King's is a member of the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association (ACAA). The Varsity athletics teams at the University of King's College are named the Blue Devils. Sporting teams include men's and women's basketball, soccer, badminton and rugby, and women's volleyball.


People


List of presidents

* William Cochran (1789–1804) * Thomas Cox (1804–1805) * Charles Porter (1805–1836) * George McCawley (1836–1875) * John Dart (1875–1885) * Isaac Brock (1885–1889) * Charles E. Willets (1889–1904) *
Ian Hannah Ian Campbell Hannah (16 December 1874 – 7 July 1944) was a British academic, writer and Conservative Party politician. Background He was born in Chichester, the eldest son of Rev. Prebendary John Julius Hannah, the Vicar of Brighton and later D ...
(1904–1906) * C. J. Boulden (1906–1909) * T. W. Powell (1909–1914) * Charles E. Willets (Acting President, 1914–1916) * T. S. Boyle (1916–1924) * A. H. Moore (1924–1937) * A. Stanley Walker (1937–1953) * H. L. Puxley (1954–1963) * H. D. Smith (1963–1969) * F. Hilton Page (Acting President, 1969–1970) * J. Graham Morgan (1970–1977) *
John Godfrey John Ferguson Godfrey, (born December 19, 1942) is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament. Background Godfrey was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey (June 28, 1912 – March 8, 2001), ...
(1977–1987) * Marion G. Fry (1987–1993) *
Colin Starnes Colin John Starnes is a professor, author, and former President of the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Starnes joined the faculty of King's in 1972, and the Dalhousie University faculty in 1977. He taught at both of ...
(1993–2003) * William Barker (2003–2011) * Anne Leavitt (2011–2012) * George Cooper (2012–2016) * William Lahey (2016–present)


Notable current and former faculty

* Michael Bishop - Author of ''The Endless Theory of Days'' and Scholar of French Contemporary. Director of Editions VVV Editions * George Bain - Director of the School of Journalism, 1979–85 *
Wayne Hankey Wayne John Hankey (November 7, 1944 – February 5, 2022) was a Canadian religious philosopher. Hankey had a lengthy career in academia, holding the title of professor emeritus in the Classics department at Dalhousie University until charged wi ...
- Carnegie Professor and Chair of the Classics department at Dalhousie, 2001-2015 * Robert D. Crouse - Chair of Classics department at Dalhousie, co-founder of
Dionysius The name Dionysius (; el, Διονύσιος ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; la, Dionysius) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name ...
* Sir Charles G. D. Roberts - prominent member of the group known as the Confederation Poets *
Henry How Henry How (11 July 1828 – 28 September 1879) was a British-Canadian chemist, geologist and mineralogist. Career In 1847, How and August Wilhelm von Hofmann were co-workers at the Royal College in London. How was a professor of chemistry and ...
- Chemist and mineralogist, described two minerals new to science:
howlite Howlite, a calcium borosilicate hydroxide (calcium, Ca2boron, B5silicon, Sioxygen, O9(Ohydrogen, H)5), is a borate mineral found in evaporite deposits.mordenite Mordenite is a zeolite mineral with the chemical formula, ( Ca, Na2, K2) Al2 Si10 O24·7 H2O. and it is one of the six most abundant zeolites and is used commercially. It was first described in 1864 by Henry How. He named it after the small com ...
* Dean Jobb - Associate Professor of Journalism, former reporter and editor for
The Chronicle Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada owned by SaltWire Network of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management cont ...
* Kim Kierans - Vice president (2010–2017), former director of the King's School of Journalism, and writer/editor for CBC Radio One * Stephen Kimber - Rogers Communications Chair in Journalism, prominent journalist and columnist for '' The Daily News'' * Daniel Brandes - Director of the Foundation Year Program, and author of ''Nietzsche, Arendt, and the Promise of the Future'' and ''Fackenheim on Self-Making, Divine and Human'' * Gordon McOuat - former Director of the History of Science and Technology Program * Susan Newhook - Assistant Professor of Journalism and researcher, reporter and editor for CBC from 1980 to 1998 * Samuel Henry Prince - Founder of the Dalhousie School of Social Work, and author of ''Catastrophe and Social Change''. *
Stephen Snobelen Stephen Snobelen is a professor of the history of science and technology at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His current teaching and research interests are History of science (History of science#Renaissance, Early Modern an ...
- Director of the History of Science and Technology Program; Featured in BBC documentary ''Newton: The Dark Heretic'' * Walter Stewart - Director of the School of Journalism * Kelly Toughill - Director of the King's School of Journalism and former Deputy Executive Editor of the Toronto Star * Fred Vallance-Jones - Associate Professor of Journalism and former Investigative reporter at The Hamilton Spectator and CBC Radio *
Laura Penny Laura Penny (born 1975) is a Canadian academic and the author of the bestselling ''Your Call is Important to Us: The Truth About Bullshit'', a study of the phenomenon of bullshit and its role in modern society. Penny was featured on '' 60 Minutes ...
- Author of '' Your Call Is Important To Us: The Truth About Bullshit'' and ''More Money Than Brains: Why School Sucks, College is Crap, and Idiots Think They're Right''


Notable alumni

* Matt Aronson - Politician, lawyer and activist. *
Rich Aucoin Rich Aucoin is a Canadians, Canadian musician, based in Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Kathryn Borel Kathryn Borel (born June 23, 1979) is a Canadian writer, editor and radio producer. She was a founding producer of the CBC Radio One show '' Q''. Borel is the author of ''Corked: A Memoir'' (2009).Margaret Sibella Brown Margaret Sibella Brown (March 2, 1866November 16, 1961) was a Canadian bryologist specializing in mosses and liverworts native to Nova Scotia. Although lacking formal scientific training, she has been recognized for her contributions to bryol ...
- Bryologist *
Ryan Hemsworth Ryan Hemsworth (born 23 April 1990) is a Canadian record producer and DJ. He specialises in electronic music and sampling. He has produced tracks for Tinashe, Tory Lanez, Mitski, and E-40. Biography Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hemsworth a ...
- Producer and DJ * William Johnston Almon * Charles Austin,
Matthew Murphy Matthew Edward Murphy (born 23 July 1984) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Wombats, which he co-founded in 2003. He began a solo career under the name ...
and Drew Yamada of
The Super Friendz The Super Friendz are a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were initially active between 1994 and 1997, before reforming in 2003. Contemporaries of Sloan, their early work was on Sloan's Murderecords label. Career The Su ...
- Influential Canadian rock band of the 90s * James "Calbert" Best - Journalist and Canadian Diplomat. *
Frederick Borden Sir Frederick William Borden, (May 14, 1847 – January 6, 1917) was a Canadian politician. While he was the Minister for Militia and Defence, he was the father of the most famous Canadian casualty of the Second Boer War Harold Lothrop Borden. H ...
- Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence from 1896–1911 * Jordan Breen - Senior Editor at Sherdog.com, curator of Sherdog FightFinder, featured Mixed Martial Arts Columnist. *
Ben Caplan Ben Caplan is a Canadian folk musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He often performs with his band The Casual Smokers, and his first full-length studio album, ''In the Time of the Great Remembering'', was released on October 20, 2011. His second r ...
- folk musician *
Amor de Cosmos Amor De Cosmos (born William Alexander Smith; August 20, 1825 – July 4, 1897) was a Canadian journalist, publisher and politician. He served as the second premier of British Columbia. Early life Amor De Cosmos was born William Alexander Smith ...
(1825–1897) - Premier of
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, 1872-1874 *
Darrell Dexter Darrell Elvin Dexter (born 1957) is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and former naval officer who served as the 27th premier of Nova Scotia from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party, he served as party leader from 2001 t ...
- Nova Scotia Premier, 2009–2013 * Starr Dobson - CTV Atlantic Live At 5 Reporter, 1990-2013 * Jay Ferguson and
Patrick Pentland Patrick Pentland (born 20 September 1969) is an Irish rock guitarist member of the Canadian rock band Sloan. All four members of Sloan write, produce, and sing their own songs, but Pentland primarily plays lead guitar for most songs. He occasiona ...
of Sloan * Lionel Avard Forsyth - President of the
Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (also DOSCO) was a Canadian coal mining and steel manufacturing company. Incorporated in 1928 and operational by 1930, DOSCO was predated by the British Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO), which was a merger o ...
* Simon Gibbons - Canada's first
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
priest *
Trevor Greene Captain Charles Trevor Greene (born 1965) is a writer, journalist, and a former officer in the Seaforth Highlanders of the Canadian Forces. Greene sustained a massive brain injury after a much publicized attack on March 4, 2006, in the Kandahar ...
- Writer, journalist, Canadian veteran wounded in the War in Afghanistan and subject of the documentary ''Peace Warrior'' *
Darren Greer Darren Shawn Greer (born January 1, 1968) is a Canadian writer. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Greer lived in several small towns, including Greenfield, Queens County, Nova Scotia and Liverpool, Nova Scotia before moving to Ontario in 1990. H ...
- Winner of the 2015
Thomas Head Raddall Award The Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award is a Canadian literary award administered by the Atlantic Book Awards & Festival for the best work of adult fiction published in the previous year by a writer from the Atlantic provinces.
for his novel ''Just Beneath My Skin'' *
Thomas Chandler Haliburton Thomas Chandler Haliburton (17 December 1796 – 27 August 1865) was a Nova Scotian politician, judge, and author. He made an important political contribution to the state of Nova Scotia before its entry into Confederation of Canada. He was the ...
- Author *
John Hamm John Frederick Hamm (born April 8, 1938) is a Canadian physician and politician, who served as the 25th premier of Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2006. Education Hamm, a graduate of the University of King's College and Dalhousie University, was a ...
- Nova Scotia Premier, 1999–2006 * Emily Horne - Co-creator and photographer for the weekly comic strip A Softer World * Sir John Eardley Inglis (1814–1862), in charge of the British forces at the
Siege of Lucknow The siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defence of the British Residency within the city of Lucknow from rebel sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's Army) during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief att ...
* Martine L. Jacquot - Author, journalist and academic *
Amber MacArthur Amber Dawn MacArthur (born 27 June 1976) is a Canadian television and netcasting personality, bestselling author of two books, and keynote speaker. MacArthur (aka Amber Mac) is the former co-host of BNN's ''App Central'' and ''Bloomberg Brink'', ...
- Internet media personality *
Julianne MacLean Julianne MacLean is a Canadian author of romance novels, primarily historical romance. She lives in Nova Scotia. Maclean earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of King's College in 1987. She went back to school to stu ...
- novel writer *
Russell MacLellan Russell Gregoire MacLellan (born January 16, 1940) is a Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999. Early life MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Federal politics He was first elected to the H ...
- Nova Scotia Premier, 1997–1999 *
Steve Maich ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...
- Editor of
Canadian Business ''Canadian Business'' is the longest-publishing business magazine based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and founded in 1927. The print edition terminated in the end of 2016. Beginning in January 2017, the magazine was published online only. In Octob ...
magazine * Stephen Marche - Author of '' Raymond & Hannah'' *
David McGuffin David McGuffin is a broadcast journalist, podcast host and producer who reports on Canada for National Public Radio. Prior his return home to Ottawa, he was a Supervising Editor with National Public Radio in Washington, DC on its flagship news and c ...
- CBC Africa correspondent * H. R. Milner - lawyer and businessman; Chancellor from 1957 to 1963 *
Stephanie Nolen Stephanie Nolen (born September 3, 1971, in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian journalist and writer. She is currently the Global Health Reporter for The New York Times. From 2013 to 2019, she was the Latin America bureau chief for The Globe and Mai ...
- Africa correspondent for ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' and author of '' 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa'' *
Roland Ritchie Roland Almon Ritchie, (June 19, 1910 – June 5, 1988) was a Canadian lawyer and puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Early life and family Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of William Bruce Almon Ritchie and Lillian Stewart, R ...
- Justice of the
Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...
* Cuthbert Aikman Simpson - Dean of Christ Church and
Regius Professor A Regius Professor is a university Professor (highest academic rank), professor who has, or originally had, Monarchy of the United Kingdom, royal patronage or appointment. They are a unique feature of academia in the United Kingdom and Republic ...
of
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
at
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
*
Johanna Skibsrud Johanna Shively Skibsrud (born 1980) is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel '' The Sentimentalists'' won the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Career Skibsrud has published two books of poetry, ''Late Nights with Wild Cowboys'' in 2008 and ''I Do No ...
- Author of ''The Sentimentalists'', 2010
Scotiabank Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...
winner *
Thomas Suther Thomas George Spink Suther (5 February 1814 – 23 January 1883) was the Scottish Episcopalian bishop of Aberdeen from 1857 to 1865 and first bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney from 1865 to 1883. Suther was born in Edinburgh to Deputy Inspector Gener ...
- Bishop of
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
*
Miriam Toews Miriam Toews (; born 1964) is a Canadian writer and author of nine books, including ''A Complicated Kindness'' (2004), '' All My Puny Sorrows'' (2014), and '' Women Talking'' (2018). She has won a number of literary prizes including the Governor ...
- winner, 2004 Governor General's Award for Fiction for her novel ''
A Complicated Kindness ''A Complicated Kindness'' (2004) is the third novel by Canadian author Miriam Toews. The novel won the Governor General's Award for English Fiction, the CBA Libris Fiction Award, and CBC's ''Canada Reads''. Plot The novel is set in a small ...
''. *
Al Tuck Al Tuck (born December 23, 1966), is a Canadian songwriter and folksinger from Prince Edward Island who has spent much of his career based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Early life Tuck was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, the son of editor ...
- folksinger * Ian Walker - Sports columnist with
The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...
turned television and film
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
* Augustus Welsford - One of two soldiers whose heroic deaths at the Siege of Sevastopol during the
Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
are marked by the Welsford-Parker Monument in Halifax's Old Burying Ground * Stuart J. Woods - Editor of ''
Quill & Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...
'' magazine * Millefiore Clarkes -
PEI PEI or Pei may refer to: Places *Matecaña International Airport, Pereira, Colombia, IATA code PEI *Pei County (沛县), Jiangsu, China *Pei Commandery (沛郡), a commandery in Chinese history *Prince Edward Island, a province of Canada * Pei, ...
filmmaker


See also

*
List of Anglo-Catholic churches This is a list of notable parishes and missions both within the Anglican Communion and in the Anglican Continuum that self-identify as Anglo-Catholic. Australia Brazil Canada Japan New Zealand Philippines United Kingdom United Stat ...
*
Royal eponyms in Canada In Canada, a number of sites and structures are named for royal individuals, whether a member of the past French royal family, British royal family, or present Canadian royal family thus reflecting the country's status as a constitutional monarch ...
*
List of oldest universities in continuous operation This article contains a list of the oldest existing universities in continuous operation in the world. Inclusion in this list is determined by the date at which the educational institute first met the traditional definition of a university used ...
* Higher education in Nova Scotia *
List of universities in Nova Scotia Universities in Canada are established and operate under provincial and territorial government charters, except in one case directed by First Nations bands and in another by federal legislation. Most public universities in the country are memb ...
*
Canadian university scientific research organizations Expenditures by Canadian universities on scientific research and development accounted for about 40% of all spending on scientific research and development in Canada in 2006. Research in the natural and social sciences in Canada, with a few importa ...
* List of National Historic Sites in Nova Scotia


References


Further reading

* 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). * Vroom, Fenwick Williams. ''King's College: A Chronicle, 1789-1939''. * DeWolf, Mark. ''All the King's Men: The Story of a Colonial University'' (1972) * Kinghorn, Alexander Manson. ''University of King’s College Halifax, Nova Scotia : The Overseas Commonwealth’s Oldest University'' (1965)


External links

*
King's Student Union

King's College National Historic Site of Canada
{{Authority control 1789 establishments in Nova Scotia History of Halifax, Nova Scotia Kings Kings Educational institutions established in 1789