On 19 September 1960 - the very first day of classes at Laurentian University - the Sudbury Star editorialized about what it called "the greatest experiment ever undertaken in Canadian higher education." Given the new university's bilingual and tri-cultural mandate, and religious complexities, the Star predicted there would inevitably be tensions and setbacks but that with cooperation, goodwill, and understanding, there would also be major accomplishments. This study, by five Laurentian members of faculty - four historians and one sociologist - explores the many ways in which this prognostication proved accurate, on both scores, over the next half-century.

Marking the fiftieth anniversary of Laurentian University's founding, this volume traces the school's historical roots in Northern Ontario and examines six principal themes: university governance, academic evolution, bilingualism and tri-culturalism, students, the faculty association, and the role of women. Collectively, these themes encompass the core elements of the Laurentian experience, making clear how unique this successful institution is. The first comprehensive history of Laurentian University, this study provides a fuller understanding of developments and changes in post-secondary education over the last fifty years.