In the fall of 1945, journalism classes began at the University of King's College, Saint Mary's College (now Saint Mary's University) and Mount Saint Vincent College (now Mount Saint Vincent University), taught by editors from the Halifax Herald, the Halifax Chronicle, and Sister Maura of MSVC. The journalism programs were designed to give students a well-rounded education on various subjects; students, most of them just out of high school, could earn a diploma in journalism in three years.
By 1948, the curriculum required courses in history, French, English, economics, political science and sociology. Classes were concentrated in practical study, and over the next 10-15 years, classes related to public relations and communications were added.
King's Calendar of 1949-1950 included the "School of Journalism of the Universities of King's College, Saint Mary's College and Mount Saint Vincent College." The School was run by its own board of governors, which included the Presidents of King's, Saint Mary's and Mount Saint Vincent, as well as two journalists and Sister Maura. Halifax newspapers had representation on the board equal to that of any individual participating university.
Although the School operated under its own board and paid its own way, the University of King's College Board of Governors could instruct its representatives on the School's board regarding financial commitments and general policy. The School's regulations regarding admissions and teaching policy had no provision that prevented another Maritime university from joining the School.
By 1956, the School was self-sustaining and had received grants from Halifax Herald Ltd., the Maritime Broadcasting Co., and the Chronicle Co. Ltd.
In 1957, a committee was formed to review the curriculum, and the School's Director made efforts to arrange summer positions for students with local newspapers.
In 1961, a reorganization of the School began, including an initiative to give it a permanent home at King's. King's provided $3,000 in annual support for the School on the condition that Mount Saint Vincent and Saint Mary's match its contribution. The syllabus was revised and the diploma became a four-year program, with three years in arts and one in journalism.
In 1962, the new school, called the Atlantic School of Journalism and Communications, was operating, with a budget of $10,950. 10 A communications library was established, and plans for a degree program of four or five years' length were underway. King's agreed to rent space to the School for $6,000 annually, but had not considered journalism courses as part of any other arts degree. Some lectures were held at the CBC building on South Park and Sackville Streets in Halifax, and at the Imperial Oil Building (probably the 1926 brick building at 1860 Upper Water Street).
By 1963, however, the School was in dire financial straits. Saint Mary's withdrew its support and funding, and the Director, Glen Hancock, returned to his former position at Imperial Oil. Local newspapers offered little support and did not wish to underwrite the School. While enrolment remained around 30 students and many graduates were working in journalistic positions in the Maritimes and elsewhere, the future of the School was uncertain.
The Calendar of 1963-1964 listed "Other courses - Diploma in Journalism. This course is one of three years and leads to a Diploma in Journalism. The Academic subjects are given at the constituent Colleges. The Professional subjects are taken in common, and conducted by practical newspaper and radio people."
The Atlantic School of Journalism and Communications operated under its own board of governors, with King's President Dr. A. Stanley Walker serving as chairman. It had a Director of Studies and an academic staff of five lecturers. According to the 1963 Director's Report to the School of Journalism's Board of Governors, the original objectives were:
1) to provide career-training opportunities for young people interested in communications and to stimulate an interest in scientific research into the problems of media communications;
2) to create a reservoir of personnel for newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, all now so much in need of new recruits with dedication and ability; and
3) to make some organized move to help improve the standards of Canadian journalism practice so that the almost unlimited freedom given to the Press by law and society will be justified by the performance of writers and editors who are aware of the tremendous responsibility placed upon them.
In 1964, the School proposed becoming part of King's to assure its continued operations, suggesting that it occupy space under the recently constructed Prince Hall; consideration was also given to locating the School in the space under the Chapel (now King's Theatrical Society's performance venue, the Pit), which had become available after Muir Gymnasium was built that year.
In 1965, the Atlantic School of Journalism and Communications closed due to lack of financial support. Bursaries were given to current students to continue their studies elsewhere. Glen Hancock, former director of the School, continued to teach a public relations extension course at King's. Supporters of the School hoped that funding could be found to reopen the School in future.
Extension courses in journalism kept the subject alive at King's following the closure of the Atlantic School of Journalism and Communications. The 1964-1965 Calendar stated: "Evening courses in public relations are offered each year to the general public. While these students are not required to meet university academic qualifications, they are expected to have a high standard of maturity and general knowledge established for the studies."
The extension courses were taught in 25 two-hour evening classes from October through April in the Haliburton Room on the second floor of the main building. Students who completed an extension course received a certificate at a ceremony in the classroom, to which guests were invited and at which sherry was served. Glen Hancock taught the extension courses from 1974-1985, offering journalism and public relations in alternating years. Public relations ceased being offered after 1979, with only journalism taught from 1980-1984. Extension courses were not listed in Calendars after 1984-1985.
The University of King's College School of Journalism was established in 1978. In 1974, President Graham Morgan began exploring the possibility of offering journalism classes in a more comprehensive program, and had a feasibility study done by Thomas, Giffen, Seaton Associates, Ltd., to explore the possibility of initiating a journalism program. A survey to determine the degree of interest was conducted in the spring of 1975, and the consultants' report was submitted to the Board of Governors in October. The study determined that the outlook was favourable, so the Board established an advisory council, engaged an academic consultant, and presented a proposal to the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) on 1 Dec 1975, with a suggested date offall 1978 to commence operations. The President invited representatives from the local media and the Board of Governors to join the Advisory Planning Committee. The academic consultant's report was tabled in May 1976.
In 1976, King's applied to the MPHEC to institute degree-granting programs in the field of journalism. The MPHEC granted permission, and King's established two new programs in 1978: the four-year Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) (B.J.H.) degree for students with a high school diploma; and the one-year Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) for students who already had an undergraduate degree.
The new school of journalism was to be an integral part of King's. Students would be obligated to enrol in the Foundation Year Programme and a French course. The school would be small and have rigorous entrance requirements. It would be housed in Classroom 1 in the basement of the main building. The promise of approximately $2,000 per student from the MPHEC in addition to student fees, the need for only three professors initially, the probability of help from the Government of Canada State Department, the Canada Department of Regional Economic Expansion (DREE) and the Nova Scotia Minister of Education, and increased renovation grants all combined to make the financial commitment less intimidating than the Board of Governors had originally calculated.
The school went through growing pains in its early years; there were issues with the lack of television and radio facilities and instruction, and its first director resigned in June 1979. George Bain, a renowned Canadian journalist, took on the directorship that October, and the school saw significantly increased enrolment. From 1980 to 1984, applications increased, with enrolment remaining at 20 to 30 students in each program, assuring quality of education through low teacher – student ratio. A radio room was installed in 1980-1981, although the School continued to use Dalhousie's facilities for television production. Writing for the School's student publication, The Monitor, and editing it and laying it out for printing became mandatory for fourth-year B.J.H. and one-year B.J. students.
After five years of existence, a review of the School showed generally positive results. Overall, it was perceived that applications were steady or rising, which allowed the School to enroll high caliber students.
In 1984, Walter Stewart, another noted Canadian journalist, became director, while George Bain, the former director, continued to teach at the School. All Directors' Reports to the President up to 1986 reported that a majority of graduates found placements at reputable media outlets. By 1986, the School had established internships with the Toronto Star and the chain of South Shore community newspapers operated by Lighthouse Publishing.
The University of King's College was the first university in Canada to offer a course in online journalism, and has continued as a leader in that field, with one of the few tenure-track faculties in Canada to specialize specifically in online journalism. Professors Tim Currie and Kim Kierans are co-editors (with Paul Benedetti) of Canada's definitive textbook for teaching online journalism, The New Journalist: Roles, Skills and Critical Thinking (Emond Montgomery, 2010).
In 2011, the School became the first university in Atlantic Canada to offer a Master of Journalism program. The M.J. is a "unique, new interdisciplinary program" emphasizing the importance of new technology in modem professional journalism: all graduates will be skilled in delivering multimedia content through websites, social media and mobile devices.30 The program has two streams: Investigative, concerned primarily with research and reporting methods, both traditional and emerging; and New Ventures, which equips students with "skills to develop a new journalism enterprise." The M.J. is a one-year degree (10 months of courses) aimed at students who already have a background in journalism. It offers skills transferable to public relations, marketing and other areas, but is billed as being "of maximal use to those who want to work in the news industry."
First Bishop of Huron.
Benjamin Cronyn was born in 1802 in Kilkenny, Ireland, and was educated there at Kilkenny College. He received a B.A. from Trinity College in Dublin in 1822, and an M.A. in 1825. He was ordained deacon that same year, then priest in 1827. He was curate of Tunstall, Kirkby Lonsdale in England from 1825 to 1827, and married Margaret Ann Bickerstaff in 1826. The couple had seven children. He was curate of Kilcommick, Longford, Ireland from 1827 to 1832, when he and his family travelled to Canada, where he became the priest in charge of London, Ontario. He immediately set about completing a church that was only partially built by his predecessor, and preached to the people of London and the surrounding areas. He was the rector of both London parish and London Township parish from 1836 to 1842, and remained rector of St. Paul's, London, until 1866. He also became the Chaplain of London in 1838. He was an exceptional fundraiser, and when it was decided that the Diocese of Toronto must be divided, he raised £10 000 to set up an endowment for the new Diocese of Huron, which comprised the 13 counties in southwestern Ontario. He was consecrated as the first bishop of Huron in 1857, and would go on to be an active leader and preacher of his diocese. In 1863, he founded Huron College, as an alternative to Trinity College in Toronto, whose teaching, he believed, aligned too closely with Catholicism. His first wife, Margaret, passed away in 1866, and he married Martha Collins in 1868. He attended the first Lambeth conference in 1867, and passed away in 1871.
Third Bishop of Montreal; Fifth Metropolitan of Canada; Second Primate of All Canada.
William Bennett Bond was born in Truro, Cornwall, in 1815. He moved to Newfoundland in the 1830s, at age 17. Initially, he worked in business, but after joining a bible class lead by Mark Willoughby, the superintendent of the Newfoundland School Society. He was ordained as a deacon in 1840 in Quebec, and as a priest in 1841. He worked as a missionary to the areas around Russelltown, Quebec from 1840 to 1842, then as Incumbent at Lachine, Quebec in 1842. He became the assistant minister at St. George's Church, Montreal in 1848, and also succeeded Willoughby, who had passed away, as the superintendent of the Newfoundland School Society. He became rector of St. George's in 1863, and remained there until 1878. He was also the rural dean of Hochelaga from 1864 onward; a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal from 1866; domestic Chaplain to the bishop of Montreal from 1870, as well as archdeacon of Hochelaga; and finally, dean of Montreal from 1872. He received an honourary MA (1854) and D.D. (1901) from the University of Bishops' College in Montreal, and an honourary LL.D (1870) from McGill University. He was consecrated Bishop of Montreal in 1879, and was Metropolitan of Canada in 1901, then as Primate of All Canada in 1904. He passed away in Montreal in 1906.
Fifth Bishop of Nova Scotia.
Frederick Courtney was born in Plymouth, England, in 1837. He was ordained deacon in 1864, and priest in 1865, and was the curate of Hadlow, England during this time. He then became incumbent of Charles Chapel in Plymouth, a position he held from 1865 to 1870, when he became the incumbent of St. Jude's in Glasgow, Scotland, until 1876. He moved to the United States at this point, and became an assistant at St. Thomas' Church in New York, from 1876 to 1880. In 1880, he became the rector of St. James' Church in Chicago, Illinois, then the rector of St. Paul's Church in Boston, Massachusetts in 1882, where he stayed until 1888, when he was consecrated Bishop of Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He resigned in 1903, and became the rector of St. James' Church in New York again, until 1916, when he held the title of Rector Emiratus until he passed away in 1918.
He held various honourary degrees, including an S.T.D. (1881) from Racine College, Wisconsin; a D.C.L. (1889) from University of Trinity College, Toronto; and a D.D. (1893) and D.C.L. (1895) from the University of Bishop's College in Lennoxville, Quebec.
Coadjutor Bishop of Ontario; Third Bishop of Ontario; Assistant Bishop of Canterbury, England.
Edward John Bidwell was born in 1866 in Suffolk, England and educated in Berkshire. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1889 from Oxford University, and became an Assistant Master at Leamington College from 1890 to 1894. He was ordained deacon in 1891, then priest in 1892. He received his Master of Arts from Oxford in 1894. He was then Headmaster of Leamington College Preparatory School until 1897, headmaster of King's School in Peterborough, England from 1897 to 1903, and headmaster of Bishop's College School in Lennoxville, Quebec from 1903 to 1909. He received an honourary Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Bishops' College in Lennoxville Quebec in 1907, and then an honourary Doctor of Divinity from the University of Bishop's College, as well as another honourary D.D. from the University of Trinity College in Toronto, Ontario in 1909. He was Rector of Kingston, Ontario and the Dean of Ontario from 1909 - 1913, and received another honourary D.D. from Queen's University in Kingston. He was consecrated Bishop of Kingston in 1912, and succeeded to the See of Ontario in 1917. He resigned in 1926, and passed away in 1941.