Queen's University at Kingston owes its origin to the desire of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for a ministry trained within the country, and for the education of youth in the principles of the Christian religion and for their instruction in the various branches of Science and Literature. As early as 1832, the Provincial Government had been petitioned "to endow without delay an institution, or professorships, for the education and training of young men for the ministry in connection with the Synod." This and other representations failing of their object, steps were taken by the Synod to found a college at Kingston on the lines of the Scottish National Universities.
On 16 October 1841, a Royal Charter was issued by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, for the establishment of Queen's College, Kingston, and the first classes were opened in March 1842, with the Reverend Dr.Liddell as Principal. Funds were provided in part by grants from the Presbyterian Church in Scotland and from the Canadian Government, and in part by liberal subscriptions from the friends of the young and growing University. The lack of good schools in the Province made it necessary to have, at first, a preparatory school in connection with the college. In spite of many difficulties and straitened circumstances, the progress was steady and financial difficulties were tided over by the unwearied efforts of the early friends of Queen's. In 1867-68, the withdrawal of the Provincial grant and the failure of the Commercial Bank almost brought financial disaster. The crisis was met by the determination of Principal Snodgrass and other self-denying workers, chief among whom was Professor Mackerras. The country was canvassed for subscriptions and, as a result of the widespread interest aroused, $113,000 was added to the endowment.
In 1877, Principal Snodgrass was succeeded by the Reverend G.M.Grant who, for a quarter of a century, built with brilliant success upon the foundation laid by his predecessors. Under him, the University gained rapidly in size and prestige. By 1881, Queen's had a new building, an enlarged staff, and a great increase of students. In 1887, as the result of an effort in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, $250,000 was raised, resulting in further extension and in the establishment of new professorships.
Principal Grant died in 1902 and was succeeded in the following year by the Very Reverend D.M.Gordon. In 1916, because of ill health, Principal Gordon resigned his position, but continued in office until the autumn of 1917, when the Reverend R.Bruce Taylor was appointed his successor. In 1930, Principal Taylor resigned to live abroad and Dr.J.C.Connell was appointed Acting Principal. He held this position for four months, until October, when W.Hamilton Fyfe, Headmaster of Christ's Hospital, England, and former Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, was installed as Principal of the University. Dr.Fyfe resigned in 1936 to accept the Principalship of the University of Aberdeen. He was succeeded by Principal R.C.Wallace, President of the University of Alberta from 1928 to 1936. Dr.Wallace retired in September 1951, and was succeeded by Principal William A.Mackintosh, the first Queen's graduate to hold the Principalship.
In 1961, by Act of Parliament, the positions of Vice-Chancellor and Principal were separated. At the same time, Dr.Mackintosh became Vice-Chancellor, and was succeeded as Principal by Vice-Principal J.A.Corry, who since 1936 had been the Hardy Professor of Political Science and, since 1951, the Vice-Principal of the University. In October 1965, on the retirement of Dr.Mackintosh, Dr.Corry was vested with the title of Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Principal Corry was succeeded in September 1968, by Dr.J.J.Deutsch, who had a distinguished career in Economic Research, in Government Service, in university teaching at both Queen's and the University of British Columbia, as Vice-Principal of Queen's from September 1959, to September 1963, and as Chairman of the Economic Council of Canada from October 1963, to September 1967. On his retirement in 1974, Dr.Deutsch was succeeded by Dr.Ronald Lampman Watts, Rhodes Scholar and political scientist well known for his work in the area of federalism. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen's from 1969 to 1974. In 1984, Dr.Watts was succeeded as Principal by distinguished economist David Chadwick Smith. A renowned scholar, teacher and government adviser on public policy, Dr.Smith joined the Department of Economics at Queen's in 1960 and served as Department Head from 1968 to 1981. He completed two five-year terms as Principal in August 1994 and was succeeded by Dr. William C.Leggett. Dr. Leggett, one of the world's most distinguished population biologists, began his term in September 1994 after serving as Dean of Science and then Vice-Principal (Academic) at McGill University.
In 1864, the Medical Faculty of Queen's was established. It was reorganized in 1866 as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in affiliation with the University, but in 1891, the original status was resumed.
The Faculty of Law opened in 1861 and closed in 1864; it reopened in 1880 and closed in 1883. In 1957, it was restored with the approval of the Law Society of Upper Canada under new arrangements whereby the Law Society accords full recognition to approved university faculties of Law.
As early as 1870, special classes in English and other subjects were formed for women, but courses leading to a degree were not opened to them until 1878-79. In 1880, co-education was extended to the medical program, and in 1883, a separate Women's Medical College was opened and affiliated with Queen's. It was closed in 1894, as similar facilities were offered in Toronto and elsewhere. In 1943, for the first time in 49 years, women were again admitted to the Faculty of Medicine. In the same year, the Faculty of Applied Science admitted women for the first time.
Graduate work at Queen's University was established formally in 1889 with the adoption of regulations for the PH.D. and D.S degrees. At that time, the degree of M.A. was not a graduate degree, but was given in accordance with the old Scottish pattern on the completion of Honours work in certain programs provided the candidate had first class standing. With the introduction of a new system of undergraduate studies in 1919, however, a master's program was set up requiring a year of work beyond the B.A. and prescribing advanced lecture courses and a thesis or other piece of independent work. In 1941, the Faculty of Arts organized a formal Committee on Graduate Studies, and, in 1943, the Senate set up a University Board of Graduate Studies. In 1963, the School of Graduate Studies was established. In 1969, the School of Graduate Studies initiated a program leading to the Master of Laws degree; in 1970, programs leading to a master's degree in Public Administration and in Urban and Regional Planning; in 1971, a program leading to a master's degree in Education; and, in 1974, a program leading to a degree of Master of Art Conservation was implemented.
The School of Mining was founded in 1893 under an Ontario charter, and was under the control of a separate Board until 1916 when it was amalgamated with the University, and now constitutes the Faculty of Applied Science.
In 1907, the Ontario Government established at Queen's a Faculty of Education for the purpose of providing professional training for teachers in the secondary schools in the Province. In 1920, the work of the Faculty was discontinued because of the decision of the Government to extend the scope of the normal schools, and to create in Toronto the Ontario College for Teachers. In 1965, by agreement with the Department of Education, it was decided to establish a Faculty of Education at Queen's University. The Faculty opened in 1968, and offers courses leading to the B.ED. and M.ED. degrees, and to certificates valid in the schools of Ontario, and such other courses leading to certification of teachers as may be determined jointly by the Ministers of Education and the University.
The Commerce program was established in 1919. In 1960, the program leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration was introduced and the name of the School of Commerce and Business Administration was changed to the School of Business. In 1963, the Board of Trustees established a separate Faculty Board for the School of Business. The School of Nursing began in 1942, the School of Physical and Health Education in 1947, and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy in 1967. In 1958, the Faculty of Arts became the Faculty of Arts and Science. New programs are continually being developed within Faculties to fill changing needs and interests, such as the programs leading to degrees of Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Art (formerly the Bachelor of Art Education) and the program in Translation (formerly French Language, Translation, French Canadian Studies), all now offered in the Faculty of Arts and Science.
Queen's has a long history of extension work in Arts and Science; correspondence courses were started in the summer of 1889, and the Summer School was formally established in 1910. In addition, a Spring Term, held during May and June, was instituted in 1972. More recently, the University has been developing in the field of continuing education; several of the Faculties have started programs in this area, and the Donald Gordon Centre for Continuing Education opened in the fall of 1974 as a residential educational seminar and conference centre. The Ban Righ Foundation for Continuing University Education also opened in September 1974. It functions as a resource centre the purpose of which is to encourage women of all ages wishing to undertake university work at any level.
Queen's University, though founded by a church, was dedicated to the nation. As its constituency expanded, its constitution was gradually broadened until finally, in 1912, as a result of an amicable arrangement between the Presbyterian Church and the Trustees of the University, an act was passed by the dominion Parliament removing the last vestige of denominational control.