Bulletin Vol. 7 No. 8 Apr–May 1971

The Societ y o f Jesu s an d th e Maryknol l Sister s hav e raised ove r tw o millio n dollar s t o cove r hal f th e cos t o f our firs t studen t hostel , t o b e name d th e Ada m Schal l Residence, whic h wil l accommodat e 12 5 me n an d 12 5 women, an d whic h wil l b e manage d jointl y fo r th e College b y th e Jesui t Father s an d th e Maryknol l Sister s themselves. Whil e o n th e subjec t o f th e kindnes s an d generosity o f ou r friends , I mus t no t forge t t o than k publicly onc e agai n Mr . Cheun g Yo k Lue n an d Mr . Wu Chung wh o hav e eac h donate d hal f a millio n dollar s t o the Colleg e Endowmen t Fund . Th e Colleg e i s deepl y grateful t o th e Governmen t an d al l ou r friends , an d I wish t o tak e thi s opportunit y o f assurin g the m tha t th e College wil l d o it s ver y bes t t o justif y thei r generou s support an d encouragement . Before w e g o roun d the campu s to la y th e foundation stones o f th e variou s building s an d then procee d t o the University' s Benjami n Frankli n Centr e fo r a te a reception, I hav e grea t pleasur e i n invitin g Lad y Trenc h to addres s us . An importan t landmar k i n th e history o f th e colleg e Speech by Lady Trench Fifteen year s ag o th e principal s o f five so-calle d "refugee" post-secondary college s i n Hon g Kon g made a very unusua l decision . Th e decisio n wa s to disban d thei r own college s an d to poo l thei r resources in orde r to star t a ne w colleg e whic h woul d b e abl e t o provid e mor e efficiently fo r th e highe r educatio n o f bot h refuge e an d local students . Their unite d an d far-sighte d effort s brough t int o being i n 195 6 a new college , namely , Unite d College . During th e pas t fiftee n years the lif e of th e Colleg e has bee n marke d b y som e vicissitudes , an d I understand that whe n Mr . Chen g wa s seconde d b y th e Hon g Kon g Government t o hea d th e Colleg e i n Januar y 196 3 th e College wa s i n rathe r ba d shape — wit h onl y 9 0 student s enrolled i n seve n department s an d a smal l teachin g staf f of jus t ove r 2 0 members . In Octobe r 196 3 whe n Th e Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kon g wa s founded , th e Colleg e becam e on e o f it s three Foundatio n Colleges , an d sinc e the n tremendou s progress ha s bee n made , s o tha t th e Colleg e ha s no w nearly 70 0 student s enrolle d i n 1 3 departments , an d a teaching staf f o f 9 0 members . This yea r bein g the 15t h anniversar y o f th e founding of th e College , i t i s trul y a happ y augur y tha t th e College shoul d fo r th e firs t tim e i n it s histor y hav e it s own premise s o n it s ne w campus . I a m s o gla d t o lear n that o f th e tota l cos t o f 1 2 1/2million dollar s fo r thes e buildings, th e Colleg e i s abl e t o rais e throug h it s friend s and othe r source s a n amoun t o f 2. 3 millio n dollar s — i n other word s abou t 18 % o f th e tota l cost , th e balanc e coming fro m publi c funds . The Colleg e ha s indeed lived up to th e expectation s of it s founder s and , a s i f t o commemorat e th e fiv e predecessors o f th e College , w e ar e gathered her e to-da y to la y th e foundatio n stone s o f th e fiv e majo r building s of th e College . These building s whe n complete d will , I a m give n to understand , provid e adequat e physica l facilitie s fo r study, researc h an d extra-curricula r activitie s an d I a m confident tha t the y wil l b e mad e ful l us e o f b y al l sections o f th e academi c communit y o f th e College . Ladies an d Gentlemen, I am sure I am speaking fo r all m y fou r "colleagues " wh o officiat e a t to-day' s ceremony as wel l a s fo r mysel f whe n I say how please d I am to b e abl e to tak e par t i n this ceremony whic h i s such a n important landmar k i n the histor y o f th e College . Jus t a s new, well-designed building s will aris e from these foundation stones s o I sincerel y hop e tha t th e Unite d Colleg e will, whil e retainin g it s fine tradition s an d lofty ideal s o f providing goo d highe r educatio n fo r th e yout h o f Hon g Kong, continue t o g o from strength t o strength , and that , like al l othe r institution s o f highe r learnin g worth y o f their name , wil l no t b e afrai d t o experimen t wit h ne w ideas an d programme s s o a s t o mee t th e challeng e o f a changing world . Lady Trench, Dr. the Hon. Sir Kenneth Ping-Fan Fung and President T.C Cheng at the cocktail party after the ceremony - 5 -