Historical Timeline 1854-1907

1855
Bishop's College holds its first Convocation 

1856
The Hon. Edward Bowen is appointed 2nd  Chancellor 


1857
Completion and consecration of St. Mark's Chapel 


1858
The Hon. J.S. McCord is appointed 3rd Chancellor 

1861
A separate building is constructed to accommodate the grammar school, which was then associated with the College, later known as Bishop's College School 

1863
Wooden steps of College entrance are replaced with stone 

1865
The Hon. Edward Hale is appointed 4th Chancellor 

The original portrait of Edward Hale hangs in the
Old Library, McGreer Hall

1867
  - The first meeting of the Alumni Association is held in June 

- The first marriage ceremony is held in St. Mark's Chapel

1871 Bishop's Medical Faculty is founded in Montreal

1874
Fire destroys the chapel and school building 

The Montreal Gazette reported on January 8:
"The Bishop's College was burned last night. The grammar school, dining hall, chapel and Principal's house were saved. The college library is about one-half destroyed."


1875
  - The Hon. George Irvine is appointed 5th Chancellor  
  - Fire destroys the interior of the College building 

1878
  - Richard W. Heneker is appointed 6th Chancellor 

  - Rev. J.A. Lobley is appointed 2nd Principal
  - Reconstruction completed of buildings destroyed and damaged by fires of 1874 and 1876

1880
Short-lived Faculty of Law is established in Sherbrooke to close in 1888.  Only fifteen degrees in course were granted.

1885
Rev. Thomas Adams is appointed 3rd Principal 

1886
Faculty of Music established 

1890
  - A group of 29 students protest the poor quality of the food and housekeeping in the college, signing a petition and presenting it to governing body, the College Council, an episode with serious repercussions which became known as the "Stigma Affair"


  - Addition of Bishop Williams Hall to the school building (Bishop's College School, later known as New Arts, or Old Johnson)

             Bishop James William Williams

1891

  • destroys chapel and school a second time  
  • Construction of
    Divinity House completed
  • Construction of Morris house completed
  • Bishop's suffered several disastrous fires over the years. Shown here is the extensive damage caused by the great fire of 1891. 

    Click on the photo to read more about Bishop's fires.

 

 

With the graduation of Octavia Grace Ritchie from its Medical Faculty, Bishop's became the first university to grant a woman a medical degree in the province of Quebec

 

 

1893
●   Reconstruction of new school building completed, including installation of cloisters (arches), connecting the College and School buildings
●   The first issue of the student journal The Mitre is published, initially serving as an alumni newsletter, campus newspaper, and literary journal in one.

1894
●   Bishop's Medical Faculty's most widely acclaimed graduate,
Maude Abbott receives her degree and goes on to become nationally and internationally renowned for her medical histories and her work in the area of congenital heart disease.
●   University procures its first piano

1895
●   Bishop's Medical Faculty graduated the first Jewish woman as a medical doctor in Canada, Regina Lewis-Landau
●   Chapel reopened after extensive reconstruction

1896
Corporation approves establishment of a chair in music

1897
First Mock Parliament held

1898

●   Completion of building now known as Bandeen Hall, which in subsequent years would serve as gymnasium, dining hall, theatre, pub, and Fine Arts studio.
●  The Robert Hamilton Memorial Endowment enables major renovations to the Principal's residence, main entrance and exterior of College building.

 

 

1900
●   John Hamilton is appointed 7th Chancellor
●   Rev. J.P. Whitney is appointed 4th Principal 1903
●   Completion of central tower for the College building as a final legacy of the Hamilton Memorial
● The first woman is admitted to lectures

 

 

 

 

 

 

1905
●   Rev. T.B. Waitt is appointed 5th Principal
●   Bishop's Medical Faculty closes following amalgamation with McGill University
●   The first woman graduates from Bishop's, Anna F. Bryant, a teacher at the Lennoxville Academy

1906
Rev. H. de B. Gibbins is appointed 6th Principal

1907
Rev. R.A. Parrock is appointed 7th Principal

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