The Private James Alexander Arnell Military Memorial Bursary was created in 2011.
James Arnell was the first Mount Royal College student killed in battle during the First World War. Born in Springbank, Arnell came from a pioneering Alberta family, active in the Baptist church. Arnell enrolled at Mount Royal in 1912 and played on the rugby team. Upon graduation, he joined the 10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry Corps, Alberta Regiment. He served and died in France at the age of 20 years when a rifle grenade fell on the roof of a dug-out, killing him instantly. Private Arnell received the 1914–1915 Star, a medal awarded to soldiers by the British government for service between August 1914 and December 1915.
