The Morning Watch was first published by the Faculty of Education at Memorial in the fall of 1973, with William J. Gushue, Ishmael J. Baksh and Amarjit Singh serving as editors. As Gushue has noted,   

The birth of The Morning Watch is explained by the somewhat rapid awakening of the Newfoundland consciousness. Indeed, that fact is reflected in the title of the journal, in that it is the morning watch that precedes a new day -- a new and better era for Newfoundland and its people. (Society, Culture and Schooling, ed. Amarjit Singh and Ishmael Baksh) 

In the general excitement that marked the approach of the 25th Anniversary of  Confederation, Newfoundland culture became more and more the focus of attention in the province. Not surprisingly, then, The Morning Watch at first dealt extensively with issues of Newfoundland culture and education, its articles reflecting a variety of disciplines. 

Quickly, though, The Morning Watch broadened its scope, increasingly  addressing questions relating to such matters as curriculum, pedagogy, educational administration, gender inequity, denominationalism, and educational reform.  Contributions now came from members of many departments of the Faculty of Education as well as from faculty in other units of the university. Eventually, submissions from the "field" were also accepted in growing numbers for publication.  In time, The Morning Watch became an important medium for the discussion of educational and social issues and for the dissemination of the results of research conducted in the province. 

The publication of The Morning Watch has been possible only because of the financial support provided by a succession of Deans in the Faculty of Education, among them Dr. George Hickman, Dr. George Ivany, Professor Brose Paddock, Dr. Leslie Karagianis, Dr. Robert Crocker and Dr. Alice Collins. Most recently, Dr. Terry Piper has lent her support, this despite the budgetary constraints faced by the Faculty. Also invaluable is the assistance rendered the publication over the years by Bill Griffin, who specialized in design, and by staff in the General Office of the Faculty of Education and in the Printing Services unit of the university. 

In the fall of 1996, the financial limitations faced by the Faculty of Education made it necessary for The Morning Watch to be published electronically. Dr. Marc Glassman provided the first on-line version.  The publication of the Fall 1997 issue marked the twenty-fifth year of the journal. With the resignation of William Gushue from the Faculty of Education, Ishmael J. Baksh and Amarjit Singh have remained the editors of the journal and are responsible for the publication of each issue. It is expected that The Morning Watch will continue in its present form. 

Periodically, the papers in The Morning Watch have been published under separate cover, grouped on the basis of subject matter. The articles of 1973-77 appeared in Society, Culture and Schooling: Issues and Analysis (1977), those of 1977-82 were published in Society and Education in Newfoundland, Volumes 1 and 2 (1982), and those of 1982-90 formed the content of Dimensions of Newfoundland Society and Education, Volumes 1 and 2 (1991), with all three collections edited by Amarjit Singh and Ishmael J. Baksh and published by the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland.   

Dr. George J. Hache, WEB technical advisor (1997-2005)

Web page contibuters: Lauren Power, Joe Healy, Pam Phillips, Norman Poole, and Rosalie Wilson. Graphics by Kelly Byrne.