This small volume outlines chronologically the course of our great institution from the birth of its founder in 1744 to the present day. James McGill emigrated from Scotland in the 1760s and a few years later settled in Montreal where he became a successful fur trader and prosperous merchant as well as a prominent member of the governments of Montreal and Lower Canada. His commercial activities reflected the realities of the 18th-century North Atlantic economy and encompassed both the Indigenous communities of the Great Lakes region and the slave plantations of the Caribbean. In 1776 he married a francophone, Marie-Charlotte (Guillimin) Trottier Desrivières (1747-1818), the widow of another Montreal merchant. James McGill and she owned Black and Indigenous household slaves.
On his death in 1813, James McGill bequeathed ₤10,000 and his 46-acre estate on the southern slopes of Mount Royal for the establishment of an institution for the advancement of learning – McGill University – which was established two hundred years ago in 1821. That initial act of generosity forged a tradition of giving from loyal and generous alumni and friends, who care deeply about the institution. Nineteenth-century benefactors include Molson, Redpath, Strathcona, and Macdonald. Twentieth and twenty-first-century benefactors include the Rockefeller Foundation, McConnell, McLennan, Schulich, Tomlinson, Trottier, Desautels, and McCall MacBain. In the 1960s, the government began providing significant support. Thanks to public and private support, McGill continues attracting students, faculty, and staff of exceptional ability, from diverse backgrounds and offering them the best possible instruction and facilities.
F. Cyril James (1903 – 1973) McGill’s 11th Principal and Vice-Chancellor (1940-1962), compiled the first Milestones in 1948. The spirit in which he undertook the compilation is reflected in his 1940 inaugural speech as principal:
"All of us who are part of the great McGill community must assume the responsibility of applying our efforts, our energies, and our abilities, not only to raise the prestige of the University as an end in itself, but to be sure that McGill gives to Canada, and to the world, intellectual integrity, sound knowledge, wise judgment, and all the service that can be offered toward the solution of the problems that urgently demand the attention of our generation."
This Bicentennial edition aims to recall McGill’s proud tradition from its founding in 1821 to the present in terms of teaching, research, and service to the community. In addition to Principals, Chancellors, buildings, and benefactors, Milestones lists chronologically a wide range of academic, student, and administrative activities reflecting the University’s evolution and development. Milestones may also remind us of our capacity to rise to the challenges that each epoch brings. We owe it to the previous generations whose contributions are highlighted in these pages, to ensure that McGill continues to stand as one of the world’s premier universities.
Previous editions of Milestones were compiled by F. Cyril James 1948 & 1972; Stanley Frost 1984, 1992 & 1999; and Peter F. McNally 2007. Fuller development of events and themes will be found in Stanley Frost’s McGill University: for the Advancement of Learning (Montreal, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1980-1984. 2v.), and the forthcoming third volume covering the years 1970-2002. An abridged history is available in the McGill Reporter, October 14, 2011, “Special Issue Celebrating McGill’s 190th anniversary.”
Along with accepting full responsibility for the contents of this 7th edition, I must also express thanks and gratitude for the assistance and perseverance of the Milestones committee: Gordon Burr, Diana Grier Ayton, Daniel McCabe, Honora Shaughnessy, and Tom Thompson. Special thanks are owed to Etienne Shalom for preparing the French language version, Les grandes dates, 1744-2021.
The James McGill Society, dedicated to the historical study and understanding of McGill University, is thanked for supporting the publication of the English and French language versions of Milestones/Grandes dates, 1744-2021 in paper and electronic formats.
Peter F. McNally
Director
History of McGill Project