Founding president kicks off Holland College lecture series in Charlottetown Oct. 24

The Holland College 50th Anniversary Lecture Series gets underway on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. with "An Evening with Dr. Glendenning and Friends", a look back at the development of the college from proclamation in the provincial legislature to admission of the first students and the college’s early years.

Donald Glendenning, founding president of Holland College, will be joined on stage by Fred Hyndman, a member of the College Planning Committee, and Henry Purdy, one of the first instructors at the college. Without a blueprint to guide them, the college’s first staff members researched and discussed various delivery models, visited other colleges to see what was available to adapt, and eventually developed the model for Holland College.

The team was committed to creating a college of applied arts and technology as opposed to a “junior college”.

The three speakers will share their perspectives on how to build a college from scratch, and will probably have a few stories to tell, too. There will also be an opportunity for alumni and retired Holland College staff and faculty to step up to the mic and share their stories from “back in the day.”

The lecture will take place in the Florence Simmons Performance Hall. Admission is free, although donations to the 50th Anniversary Golden Endowment Fund would be greatly appreciated.

Other topics in the series include the evolution of competency-based education, building a college presence across the Island, an interactive tour of the Atlantic Police Academy, and a culinary experience at The Culinary Institute of Canada.

Holland College president Sandy MacDonald will deliver the final lecture and share his vision for the future of Holland College.

For more information about Holland College’s anniversary activities, visit holland college. com/50years.