King's University College (commonly shortened to King's) is a university college in London, Ontario, Canada, affiliated with St. Peter's Seminary and the University of Western Ontario.

It is a Catholic, co-educational, liberal arts college. Originally named Christ the King College, the school was founded to provide the all-male seminary with education in the liberal arts. The school was founded in 1954 and first began holding classes in 1955.

King's is the largest affiliated college of the University of Western Ontario and enrolls 3,500 students. The university college offers programs in arts, social science, childhood and social institutions, management and organizational studies, social justice and peace studies, social work, and theology through its affiliation with St. Peter's Seminary.

History

Founding

King's was founded as the College of Christ the King in 1954, at which time it was an all-male college affiliated with St. Peter's Seminary.

A group of local clerics, headed by London Bishop John Christopher Cody, along with Monsignors Roney and Mahoney and Fathers McCarthy, Feeney, and Finn began to meet to discuss plans for a new college in 1954. The purpose of the new institution was to provide a liberal arts education for Catholic lay men studying at St. Peter's Seminary.

In March 1945, Bishop John C. Cody chaired a meeting at the Hotel London and announced that the Diocese of London would establish an arts college, called Christ the King College, which was to be affiliated with the University of Western Ontario. A discussion on 22 March, resolved several key issues pertaining to the size and location of the new building. Initially the structure was to be located close to Ursuline College because of its proximity to the university campus. However, "because of the attendance of the seminarians and the necessity of staff going from the Seminary to the new College, the site on the Seminary grounds is more favourable". The parcel of land upon which the college would be built was donated by St. Peter's Seminary to the Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of London. Upon completion, this new building was to house about one hundred men and be the cornerstone of the new college.

By 9 June 1954, all the estimates had been received and it was decided to award the contact to the Pigott Construction Company of Hamilton, which completed the building for a final cost of $1.5 million. Construction of the new building that was to become Christ the King College (now Monsignor Wemple Building) began in June 1954. The ground was blessed and broken by Bishop Cody and the corner-stone for the Monsignor Lester A. Wemple Hall laid by Cardinal McGuigan of Toronto in the company of the Papal Delegate to Canada, John Panico. A ceremony marked the official opening of Christ the King College on 14 September 1955. Assembled at the top of the steps of the new institution were the leaders of London's educational, political and religious communities, while on the front lawn a crowd of about 300 persons - largely priests, nuns, and seminarians.

Initially, the college consisted of 55 double residence rooms, seven classrooms, a library, a dining hall, two recreation rooms and a chapel. The all-male faculty and administration were composed largely of priests from St. Peter's Seminary. The first class that enrolled in September 1955 was 46 men in total, by 1958 150 full-time students were registered.

Incorporation Since its founding, King's was formally owned and governed by the diocese. In 1972, King's took responsibility for the overall operations and governance of the college. The incorporation process was the next step in the maturation of the King's as a major Catholic university in Canada. The transfer, which has been under discussion for a number of years, was approved by the Vatican in August 2012. As part of the transfer, King's will obtain official ownership of the land and buildings currently held in its footprint. The transfer was completed in December 2013 after various government regulatory processes were completed.

Name change The name was changed to King's College in 1966 after it became affiliated with the University of Western Ontario. Unlike Brescia and Huron, other affiliated colleges of the University of Western Ontario, King's initially did not adopt the "University College" designation (owing to an institution with a similar name, The King's University College, in Edmonton). The designation became part of the name in 2004. The current name was adopted in 2012.

Campus

King's University College is situated in the city of London, Ontario, located in the southwestern end of the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The university college is located adjacent to the Thames River, across from the Richmond Gates of University of Western Ontario. The majority of the campus is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods, with Epworth Ave bisecting the campus.

The college's first classes were held in Monsignor Wemple Building. The Monsignor Wemple Building remained the sole educational facility until 1982, when the school began using lecture theatres in Dante Lenardon Hall. The buildings at King's University College vary in age from Wemple Hall which was completed in 1954, to the Darryl J. King Student Life Centre, completed in 2014.

Academic facilities

King's was originally located in what is now the Monsignor Wemple Building on the north side of Epworth Avenue, with classrooms, the original Monsignor Wemple Library, chapel, offices, and dining hall located on the lower and ground floor, and living quarters on the upper floors. The Lester A. Wemple Library was expanded in 1970 and again in 1980. The college building further expanded in 1970 to include two lecture halls and additional classrooms.

In 1982, King's began using the lecture theatres additional lecture theatres located in the Silverwood Annex of the Silverwood mansion on Waterloo Street, now known as Dante Lenardon Hall, named after a well respected emeritus professor.

An additional building, Elizabeth A. "Bessie" Labatt Hall, was opened between the library and mansion in 2003, and features three lecture halls, an auditorium that can be split into three classrooms, faculty offices, and a large atrium.

In 2008, the school purchased and renovated what was the London Hebrew Day School, and formerly the (Middlesex county) pre-city country school known as Broughdale on Epworth Avenue. In 1961, following the annexation of the Broughdale area by the city of London, the Broughdale School became part of the London public school system. Declining enrolment led to the school's closure in 1977. In 1979, the building became the London Community Hebrew Day School.

The building has gone through multiple renovations and alterations since it first opened in 1920. The original portico has been removed as part of the 1946 alteration and the original roof line was lowered as part of a renovation that added substantially to the building's overall width to provide two additional classrooms and a principal's office. A rear addition was added in the latest major renovation during the 1960s.

On 11 March 2009, the former Hebrew Dale School was rededicated as Broughdale Hall. The dedication ceremony was officiated by King's Chaplin Reverend Michael D. Béchard and Rabbi Ammos Chrony of Or Shalom Synagogue. The building houses lecture halls, as well as the CultureWorks offices.

Library

Construction of a new two-story library began in July 1994 along Waterloo Street, adjacent to Silverwood mansion now known as Dante Lenardon Hall. The library is named after Cardinal Carter, formerly Bishop of London. The original library became a student lounge, and the Monsignor Wemple name became the name of the original college building. Construction of the library completed in June 1995 and the formal opening was held on 29 September 1995.

In addition to research resources, the library includes the Eaton Special Collections Room named in honour of the Eaton Foundation. The Eaton Room houses rare and archival material, including over 750 volumes dating from late 14th through 18th centuries.

Shortly after the formal opening the library attracted an international photography exhibit Echoes of Ancient Egypt which featured the archival collection of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2011 the library was host to The Human Library, which allowed the public to loan specialty and rare books for the duration of the event.

Housing and student facilities

The residence buildings available for students are the upper two levels of the Wemple building, Alumni Court and ten town-house units.

In 2010 the university college purchased a two-story house located near the Cardinal Carter Library. This building has since been named International House and is used to house international exchange students and for meeting space for social events. Incoming exchange students are guaranteed space at King's Residence, and may choose to stay in the private rooms at the International House. The King's Community Garden is located in the backyard of the International House.

The Darryl J. King Student Life Centre is the centre of student life, and student government programming. The Student Life Centre combines a café, learning lounge, a 490-seat auditorium, fitness space, meeting rooms, games room and classrooms.

The King Student Life Centre is a two-story (plus full basement) building, designed by Perkins+Will in association with Cornerstone Architecture and built by K & L Construction.

In 2011 the school began fund-raising for the building of the Darryl J. King Student Life Centre, a community and recreational centre for the college that is physically connected to the Cardinal Carter Library. The cornerstone of the building was dedicated and blessed by Reverend Michael D. Béchard on 29 September 2012. A video on the progress of the Student Life Centre was uploaded on the King's University Website.King's Student Life Centre making progress! King's released a thank you video to all of their donors in support of the Darryl J. King Student Life Centre. Construction of the Student Life Centre was completed in 2013 at a cost of $14.7 million, and the grand opening ceremony held on 7 January 2014.

Sustainability Campus sustainability at King's is managed by The Green Team and Physical Plant department as directed by the Strategic Plan. Independent initiatives and projects are also run by faculty, student clubs, and the King's University College Students' Council.

In 2012, King's completed an environmental and sustainability audit as part of the strategic commitment "To create an environmentally sustainable College". Graham Casselman, who led the audit gave a presentation to the King's community on 21 August in which he outlined his findings. The audit recommended changes to inter-campus transportation to reduce the environmental impact. In response the university college added a new propane powered shuttle bus to the vehicle lineup. This vehicle is a collaboration with Aboutown the goal of the smaller size bus and its and use of propane is to help reduce the environmental impact.

The Green Team is the environmental committee responsible for multiple initiatives at the university college. In 2011 the Green Team's Chair, Sarah Morrison, earned an Honourable Mention at the University of Western Ontario Green Awards for her environmental work. The committee collects funds through campus initiatives including annual perennial plant sale and sales of reusable, metal water bottles featuring the King's logo. The Green Team also holds biannual events in which volunteers from the King's community come together each fall and spring to comb the campus gathering misplaced garbage and recyclables. The Green Team also works within the greater community with their support of various environmental-awareness campaigns.