Unveiling the history of Knox College is like opening a time capsule. This postgraduate theological college of the University of Toronto has a rich past. It began in 1844 during a schism in the Church of Scotland.
Knox College’s story starts with the Disruption of 1843. Controversy over state control led to the Free Church of Scotland. Some Presbyterian ministers in Canada switched to this new denomination. Queen’s College in Kingston remained with the Church of Scotland. This led some students to leave and found Knox College in Toronto.
The college is named after John Knox. He was a Scottish Reformation theologian. Knox College became affiliated with the Free Church. The first class met on November 5, 1844. It was held in Rev. Henry Esson’s home on James Street. This location is now the Toronto Eaton Centre.
For two years, Knox College moved to larger buildings. These were on Adelaide Street and Front Street. The Front Street site is now the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Rev. Dr. Michael Willis became the first principal in 1857. He came from St. John’s Renfield Church in Glasgow. Willis was also the founding president of the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada. Knox College received its charter in 1858. This gave it the authority to grant academic degrees.
In 1861, the Canada Presbyterian Church formed. It united synods of the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church. Knox College absorbed the theological college from London, Canada West. In 1867, Knox helped establish The Presbyterian College in Montreal. Knox donated books and alumni served as faculty.
Knox College moved to 1 Spadina Crescent in 1875. The building was Gothic-revival. It became the main seminary for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Later, students began attending the University College of the University of Toronto. Knox formally affiliated with the University of Toronto in 1885. In 1890, it became part of the university. In 1915, Knox College moved to its present location. It sits next to University College. During World War II, Knox housed faculty from The Presbyterian College. Their building was used for military training.
In 1969, Knox became a founding member of the Toronto School of Theology. Since 1978, Knox has granted theology degrees with the university and the Toronto School of Theology. Ewart College, a women’s college, merged into Knox in 1991. Ewart College began as the Presbyterian Missionary and Deaconess Training School in 1897.
The current Knox College building was finished in 1915. Chapman & McGiffin designed it in the Collegiate Gothic style. The U-shaped layout surrounds a cloister or courtyard. A roofed walkway divides the cloister. The building includes offices, residences, the Caven Library, and a chapel. The lobby in the eastern wing features Gothic fan vaults.
The chapel provides facilities to the University of Toronto community. It features a Hellmuth Wolff organ. The chapel has a large south-facing window of amber-stained glass.
Knox College offers several degrees and programs. These include Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. Knox prepares graduates for diverse ministries. These include congregational leadership and spiritual care.
In the Season 2 episode of Star Trek: Discovery, Knox College served as a filming location. It was used for the Klingon monastery on Boreth.
Knox College continues to educate and inspire. Its motto is “Verbum dat lucem” or “The word gives light”.