Dr. George William Kerby

Recruitment Officer, founder of Mount Royal College

Rev. Dr. George William Kerby

Born: 1860 at Sombra, Ontario, Canada
Married: 11 Oct 1888 at Paris, Ontario to Emily Spencer
Died: 9 Feb 1944 (age 83) at Calgary, Alberta

Buried: Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, plot C:03:074
Contributor: Jim Benedict

George’s Parents

• Father: Nelson Kerby
• Mother: Hester Ann Sheply

George’s Early Years

George William Kerby was born in the later part of 1860 in the sub district of Sombra in the County of Lambton, Ontario. George spent his youth working on the family farm. By 1881, he was away from his home attending school. He graduated from Victoria University, the Methodist college of the University of Toronto in 1888 and was ordained as a Methodist minister shortly after. During his schooling, he also served as a probationary missionary in various parts of Ontario. On 11 October 1888, after his graduation, George married Emily Spencer in Paris, Ontario. He had subsequent pastorates in Hamilton, St. Catharines, Brantford and Montreal. He also travelled across Canada twice as a missionary. He was frequently in demand since he was an eloquent speaker.

In 1902 a telegram was sent from Calgary requesting George to travel west and become minster of Central Methodist Church. The Kerbys’ moved west in July 1903 to settle in the still small Calgary. One of George’s eastern colleagues wrote “Kerby’s gone to that God forsaken place and will never be heard from again.”

Until 1910, George was minister at Central Methodist Church. He oversaw the building of the sandstone church which opened on the 5th February 1905. This church today is the Central United Church located at 131 7th Ave. George became the founding principal of the newly formed Mount Royal College. He continued as the Principal for the following 31 years.

Service during WW1

George served as chief recruiting officer of Military District No. 13. Their son Harold Spencer Kerby entered the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and went on to a distinguished career in the Royal Air Force. George was awarded honourary degrees from University of Alberta and University of Victoria. He also served as Honourary Lieutenant Colonel and Honourary Chaplin during the opening years of WWII. George Kerby died in 1944.

Memorials

• Kerby Memorial Building
• Kerby Centre, on the site of the old Mount Royal College at 11 Street and on 7th Avenue, SW.
• extracted from