Victoria University (Toronto, Ont.). Faculty of Theology Fonds

Administrative History

The first course in Theology was given at Victoria College in 1871-1872. The next year the course was enlarged into a department, with courses leading to a degree of Bachelor of Divinity. In 1873 the Department became a fully organized Faculty of Theology.

After Victoria University federated with University of Toronto in 1890, and moved from Cobourg to Toronto, Victoria University held in abeyance its power to grant degrees except those in Divinity. When the United Church in Canada was formed in 1925, various legal/property considerations lead to the non-concurring Presbyterian Church retaining the Knox College building with the provision that the United Church was permitted joint occupancy for three years.

Following a Dominion Property Commission decision in 1927, which awarded the Presbyterians the name and charter and the greater part of the endowments of Knox, the United Church incorporated a college to be known as Union Theological College, comprising those of Knox College (United Church) and uniting with Victoria to form with its Faculty of Theology, a Theological College of the United Church. Two months later Union College became separately federated with the University of Toronto.

In the summer of 1927, the Union College students moved out of the Knox College building and established headquarters on the Victoria campus for the 1927-1928 year. An Act was passed in April 1928 that combined Union College with the Victoria Faculty of Theology to form Emmanuel College.