Memorial's history on display

The First 75 Years

Memorial officially opened an exhibition on its history this year. Titled Launch Forth ... The First 75 Years of Memorial University, the exhibit is located at the base of the Memorial Tower on the St. John's campus and was opened to the public on Jan. 26, 2001.

The installation explores the unique story of the province's university. "It is a proud story of the development of minds and hearts, of the creation and sharing of new knowledge, of service to our community. It is a story that continues to be written as Memorial enters a new century, ready to evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future," said President Axel Meisen, adding a note of thanks to former president Dr. Arthur May, benefactor Dr. Paul Johnson, archivist Bert Riggs and the staff at Technical Services for their valuable work in preparing the exhibition space, including making furniture for the rotunda area.

The Memorial Tower was a gift of the Johnson Family Foundation. The foundation and Johnson Insurance also supported building the exhibit. Dr. Johnson said visitors to the rotunda will see how the mandate of the university was created and achieved. "The role of the late premier, Dr. J. R. Smallwood, in setting the ambitious, visionary course for the university, was certainly an unequaled benefit for the young people of our province," he said.