Early visions of a university

The origins of Memorial University of Newfoundland can be traced back to 1893, when the Government of Newfoundland established the Council of Higher Education. One of the council’s earliest ambitions was the creation of a “University of Newfoundland” that could confer degrees locally. Economic and political challenges, however, delayed that vision for decades.

In 1913, a change to the Rhodes Scholarship renewed interest in higher education in Newfoundland and Labrador. Students now needed to complete at least two years of university study before becoming eligible for the award. While wealthier families could send students to universities in Canada or the United States, most could not afford the opportunity.

The Council of Higher Education responded with a proposal to raise the highest level of schooling in Newfoundland to the equivalent of second-year university studies. The government approved the plan within weeks.

Then the world went to war.

The impact of the First World War

The impact of the First World War on Newfoundland and Labrador was devastating. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment suffered enormous losses, leaving deep scars on communities across the country. For a population so small, the scale of loss was almost unimaginable.

A living memorial

In the years that followed, many believed a new institution of higher learning could serve as a living memorial to those who had fallen. In 1925, Memorial University College was founded to honour the sacrifice of the past while investing in the promise of the future.

Explore Memorial’s history

In 2025, we celebrated our 100th anniversary and reflected on the stories, people and moments that shaped our first century.

Learn more about our founders. Explore The Centennial 100 and the individuals whose contributions helped define Memorial. Visit our Memorial Remembers pages to discover how the past continues to inform the present, and browse our timeline to uncover moments that even longtime Memorial history enthusiasts may not know.