Wu Conference Centre
Building Name: Wu Conference Centre/College of Extended Learning
Other Names: Wu Centre, New Brunswick Teachers' Association
Civic Address: 6 Duffie Dr.
Sod Turning: May 1991
Cornerstone Laying: [ca. 1991]
Opened for Use: 1992
Official Opening: 9 October 1968 by Lady Violet Aitken (as the NBTA); 5 October 1992 (as the Wu Conference Centre)
Architect: James Collier (original building); Carl R. Smyth (Wu Centre addition)
Named for: Dr. Yee-Sun Wu (DLitt '87) and his son, Michael Wu (BScMe '64 LLD '89), who, through the Wu Foundation, donated $1 million to the construction of the Wu Conference and Continuing Education Centre, as well as the purchase of special collections and manuscripts. Dr. Wu Yee-Sun was the founder of the Wing Lung Bank of Hong Kong. A believer in returning good fortune to the community through which he achieved his prosperity, he established the Wu Yee-Sun Charitable Foundation.
Renovations/changes/additions: Originally the New Brunswick Teacher's Federation Building, the building was enlarged and renovated to provide space for a meeting and training space, becoming the Wu Conference Centre.
Notes: The J. Harper Kent Auditorium was dedicated 5 October 1992. Home of the College of Extended Learning, English Language Programmes, Centre for e-Learning Development, and Security and Traffic (which was previously housed in Annex B).
Named Spaces: Aitken Room, The Room was officially opened in 1968 (when this was the New Brunswick Teacher's Federation Building) by Lady Aitken on behalf of Sir Max Aitken, honourary president of the New Brunswick Teacher's Association.
Chancellor's Room, Through the initiative and support of Fredrik S. Eaton (Chancellor of UNB from 1993-2003), the Chancellor's room was named in recognition of past, current and future chancellors of UNB.
Harper Kent Auditorium, J. Harper Kent was from Bathurst, New Brunswick and was an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Kent's foundation donated the fund to complete the construction of the auditorium.
Source(s):
- UA Case 123; Section 3, Box 2; Wu Centre.
- UA Case 123; Section 1, Box 1.
- Leroux, John. Building A University: The Architecture of UNB. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2010, p. 119-120.
- UNB Scrapbooks (UA RG 100); October - December 1968.
© UNB Archives & Special Collections, 2014