Old Memorial Building, St. John’s, Newfoundland - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

The idea of establishing an institute of higher education in Newfoundland, in memory of those who died in World War I, first arose in the years immediately following the end of that war. This was to serve as a kind of “living” memorial as opposed to a fixed monument or statue. (There were plenty of those too erected in various locations.) The school that was established was named Memorial University College and its first classes were held in 1925. At that time it shared a building with the new non-denominational Normal School that had opened in 1921. This building, located on Parade Street in St. John’s, was the right side of the building seen on the stamp. The Normal School, which was basically a teacher’s college, was eventually incorporated into Memorial University College in the 1930s.

In 1932 the building was expanded to the size shown on the stamp (which was issued in 1943). Other smaller buildings were acquired or annexed over the years due to increased enrollment and expansion of the curricula. After World War II, the college was rededicated as a memorial to those who lost their lives in both World Wars. When Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949, Memorial University College was re-chartered as Memorial University of Newfoundland and began offering full degree programs.

With continued expanding enrollment at Memorial University, the old building on Parade St. was bursting at the seams. Plans for a new campus, befitting the full university that Memorial had become, were formulated in 1952. The new campus was located on over 200 acres of land on the outskirts of town and construction began almost immediately. It took a while but Memorial University finally moved to its new home in 1961. Today, Memorial University has three campuses located in Newfoundland (and a small one in England) and around 15,000 students.

The old building wasn’t empty for long because another school, The Fisheries College, moved in in 1964. It too outgrew the building and relocated in 1985 (and eventually became affiliated with Memorial University). Today the building is owned by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary who use it as a training facility.

Stamp Issuing Country: Newfoundland Date of Issue: 1-Jan-1943 Denomination: 30 cents Color: carmine Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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