Holland College celebrates five decades of learning

A committee of Holland College faculty and staff is putting together plans to launch the college’s 50th anniversary celebrations in September with activities that include students, staff, alumni, retirees and the general public.
The college officially opened on Sept. 2, 1969, with a luncheon in Montgomery Hall for staff, the college planning committee and the 83 students enrolled in the college’s first four programs:  electronics; secretarial arts; commercial art and resources planning. Premier Alex Campbell and Education Minister Gordon Bennett were also in attendance. 
To celebrate that auspicious day, Holland College will host new and returning students, retirees, and members of the community on the Prince of Wales Campus in Charlottetown for the 50th Anniversary Kick Off event on Friday, Sept. 6.
The day will include live music, a barbecue, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, carnival festivities and carnival food prepared by the Culinary Institute of Canada.
The year-long celebration will include campus and community events that celebrate Holland College’s history, programs and its relationships with communities across the province. The college will release three videos online to celebrate the college’s history, alumni and its contributions to the Island.
In October, Holland College will hold the first in a series of evening lectures in the Florence Simmons Performance Hall. The first lecture, An Evening with Dr. Glendenning and Friends, will focus the spotlight on the development of the college from the initial concept. Joining Glendenning, the college’s first and longest-serving president, will be instructors, staff and, hopefully, students from the college’s early years. Other lectures will take place across the province throughout the year.
“So many Islanders have a connection to Holland College, and the college has made a significant impact on the Island’s economy and way of life,” said president Sandy MacDonald. “We are hoping that people will join us in celebrating our anniversary and learning more about the college and its place in the community.
For more information about the college’s 50th anniversary, visit hollandcollege.com/50years.