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Guelph War Memorial

Hidden photo gallery

  • Plaque
    (Click for more images)
  • War Memorial Hall
  • Memorial Alcove, War Memorial Hall University of Guelph
  • Johnson Hall, World War II memorial tower clock, University of Guelph

Municipality/Province: Guelph, ON

Memorial number: 35026-022

Type: Memorial Hall (Stone-cut limestone)

Address: Gordon Street & College Avenue East

Location: University of Guelph

GPS coordinates: Lat: 43.5324571   Long: -80.2320095

Submitted by: Steve Nessner

This memorial is dedicated to all Veterans of all wars. It was erected by the Ontario Agriculture College.

Harry Reginald Coales and Bernard Dangerfield (Coales and Dangerfield) designed War Memorial Hall, 390 Gordon Street on the campus of the Ontario Agricultural College (now the University of Guelph), 1923-24. The building was opened June 1924 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of OAC and to honour students who had enlisted and died in the First World War. Two bronze tablets face each other in the Memorial Chapel; one bearing the names of the 109 fallen men who lost their lives in First World War, the other remembering those who died in the Second World War. The memorial alcove in War Memorial Hall at the University of Guelph held Books of Remembrance for Guelph men killed in the World Wars.

The post World War I grads of the Ontario Agricultural College class of 1923 are responsible for War Memorial Hall as a Memorial to World War II casualties.

The Ontario Agricultural College class of 1949 are responsible for World War II Memorial Clock as a Memorial to 73 World War II casualties. The 1946 Libranni records the names of 73 OAC grads and two OAC staff who lost their lives in the conflict. Early in 1946 there was discussion on a proposed new OAC sports and recreation building that our class would leave in memory of World War II casualties. This proposal and variations of it came to naught. The following year the class decided to begin “a Forty-Nine Memorial Fund” to be set up pending a decision on a suitable memorial. At a class meeting in March of 1949 it was agreed to have the IBM company build and install a clock in the tower of the Administration Building, now Johnston Hall. The clock was to be installed for a dedication ceremony on Convocation Day or Alumni Day, but the subcontractor for the clock face hit a delay and clock wasn’t up and running until August. The final bill paid by the class was $1,756. As a gift to OAC the class of 1949's 35th Anniversary two more faces were added to the Johnston Hall tower clock. The class presented the University with the two new faces and new works covered by our cheque for $18,000, almost $36,000 in today’s dollar.


Inscription found on memorial

War Memorial Hall

Street view

Note

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