Acadia University  concluded its year-long 175^th anniversary celebrations on Nov. 14, 2014 by assembling several items that will be enclosed in a time capsule and sealed in the walls of the Wu Welcome Centre currently under construction at Alumni Hall. 

Acadia was founded on November 15, 1838. Each year the campus celebrates Founders’ Day by holding a modest reception and distributing cake to faculty, staff and students. In 2013, the University held a large event to mark its 175^th anniversary that recognized the contributions made to the campus and community by well-known individuals such as former president Dr. James R.C. Perkin, first woman graduate Clara Belle Marshall Raymond (1884), and Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Arthur Irving (’52). The event also featured a $1 million gift announcement to the University from the family of Acadia alumnus Andrew H. McCain.

Acadia’s 175^th anniversary year featured more than 80 celebrations on campus and around the world. These events included faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and community leaders who were able to share their Acadia experiences and, in many cases, celebrate new gifts to the University, such as $1 million from Dr. Thomas Raddall (’57), $1 million from the Stevens family of Nova Scotia, and $1.5 million from the Wu family of Hong Kong.

The idea of a time capsule to preserve the legacy of the 175^th anniversary year is nothing new at Acadia. There are two time capsules on campus, both located in the cornerstone of University Hall. The first dates back to the 1880s when the second University Hall was constructed to replace the original College Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1877.  The second dates from the 1920s when the current University Hall was built (this time of stone) to replace the second version, which was also destroyed by fire.

The 2014 time capsule will contain editions of the alumni magazine, the Bulletin; Voices of Acadia, a special three-volume publication featuring stories about notable Acadia alumni; a USB drive containing celebration videos; a photo of the 2014 first-year class; a prayer and Chapel speakers’ pamphlet provided by University Chaplain Tim McFarland (’92); a photo from Acadia Athletics depicting the University’s 95 CIS Academic All-Canadians for 2013-14; a 175^th patch that adorned Acadia’s varsity team jerseys during the anniversary year; and a copy of the 2014 Convocation program.

For more, please visit our photo gallery. (Fred Sgambati, Oonagh Proudfoot photos)