Editing Concordia University (section)

===Sir George Williams University===
{{Main|Sir George Williams University}}
[[File:Sir george william 1970.jpg|thumb|right|Sir George Williams University's [[Henry F. Hall Building]] in 1970]]
In 1851, the first [[YMCA]] in North America was established on Ste. Helene Street in Old Montreal.<ref>[http://www.ymcaquebec.org/en/centre/overview/downtown-y-centre/1/ YMCA History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202051006/http://www.ymcaquebec.org/en/centre/overview/downtown-y-centre/1/ |date=February 2, 2013}} YMCA International.</ref> Beginning in 1873, the YMCA offered evening classes to allow working people in the [[English-speaking Quebecer|English-speaking community]] to pursue their education while working during the day. Sixty years later, the Montreal YMCA relocated to its current location on [[Stanley Street (Montreal)|Stanley Street]] in [[Downtown Montreal]]. In 1926, the education program at the YMCA was reorganized as Sir George Williams College, named after [[George Williams (YMCA)|George Williams]], founder of the original YMCA in London, England, upon which the Montreal YMCA was based. In 1934, Sir George Williams College offered the first undergraduate credit course in adult education in Canada.

Sir George Williams College received its university charter from the provincial government in 1948, though it remained the education arm of the Montreal YMCA. Sir George Williams expanded into its first standalone building, the Norris Building, in 1956. In 1959, the college requested that the Quebec legislature amend its university charter, changing its name to Sir George Williams University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.concordia.ca/content/concordia/en/offices/archives/stories/sgw.html|title=Sir George Williams University History|website=concordia.ca|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> It established a Centre for Human Relations and Community Studies in 1963. Sir George Williams continued to hold classes in the YMCA building until the construction of the [[Henry F. Hall Building]] in 1966.

The university gained international attention in 1969 for what is known as the "Computer Centre Incident." Notably in spring 1968, six black West Indian students at Sir George Williams University accused a biology lecturer (later assistant professor) of racism. The complaint was lodged to the dean of students, Magnus Flynn. Dissatisfied with how the administration was handling their complaint, the students decided to make it a public issue in fall 1968. The students occupied and destroyed the Hall Building's ninth floor computer lab after threatening to do so should the riot squad be called.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Computer Centre Incident |url=https://www.concordia.ca/content/concordia/en/offices/archives/stories/computer-centre-incident.html |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=concordia.ca |language=en}}</ref> The events forced the university to re-evaluate its policies, leading to the creation of the Ombuds Office and establishment of the University Regulations on Rights and Responsibilities in April 1971. (See [[Sir George Williams Affair]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.concordia.ca/content/concordia/en/offices/archives/stories/computer-centre-incident.html|title=Computer Centre Incident|publisher=Concordia University|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>

Following several years of discussions and planning, Sir George Williams University merged with Loyola College to create Concordia University in 1974. Concordia provided students with representative student organizations and greater power over administrative decisions at the university.