Carleton was founded in 1942 by a group of local businessmen and senior civil servants, who formed The Ottawa Association for the Advancement of Learning.  These individuals saw higher education as a worthy cause and aimed to broaden the career opportunities and the cultural horizons of ambitious young people by giving them the chance to attend university. In 1952, the provincial government confirmed the College’s degree-granting privileges, and in 1957, the Act was amended to rename the institution Carleton University.