McGill and its Story, 1821-1921

The narrative chronicles the first century of a Canadian university founded through the bequest of James McGill, recounting the effort to secure a charter, early financial and administrative crises, the appointment of formative principals, and the opening and expansion of faculties, buildings, and professional schools. It examines debates over governance and growth, the development of scientific and medical instruction, the extension of higher education to women, and the gradual transformation from a small college into a broad institution by 1921. Epochal chapters are supplemented by biographical sketches, illustrations, and appendices containing key documents that illuminate the civic and intellectual forces behind its evolution.