Mount Royal University

Mount Royal University (MRU) is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. History Mount Royal University was founded by Alberta provincial charter by the Arthur Sifton government on December 16, 1910 and officially opened on September 8, 1911. Originally "Mount Royal College", the institution was the brainchild of Calgary Reverend George W. Kerby (1860-1944) who sought an opportunity for higher education for the benefit of young people from rural homes in the area. The provincial charter as presented in the legislature by R. B. Bennett was titled "Bill 48, An Act respecting the Calgary College", however Premier Sifton, Kerby and others agreed not to use Calgary for the name of the new college. Mount Royal became a post-secondary institution in 1931 as Mount Royal Junior College (MRC) offering transfer courses to the University of Alberta and later to the University of Calgary. In 1972 Mount Royal moved from several buildings in downtown Calgary to a new campus in Lincoln Park on land previously used as an air force base. A war memorial honour roll is dedicated to Mount Royal alumni who have volunteered for active service in the Canadian Forces. Mount Royal University was granted university status in 2009 by the provincial government. The university currently offers 12 degrees and 32 majors with an average class size of 29 students.