1929年，曹家渡紳民為紀(jì)念圣約翰大學(xué)建校 50 周年在懷施堂正前方立紀(jì)念坊。紀(jì)念坊四根石柱前后均琢有兩副對(duì)聯(lián)，并有橫額，精巧別致，古色古香。1955年初紀(jì)念坊被拆除，1992年重建。
1929年，曹家渡紳民為紀(jì)念圣約翰大學(xué)建校50周年，在懷施堂草坪前立一中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)格的紀(jì)念牌坊，形狀古樸，方石柱上連橫額覆中式屋頂，整體看上去精巧而別致。
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of St. John’s University, local gentry in today’s Caojiadu erected a traditional Chinese-style memorial archway in front of the Grand Lawn of Schereschewsky Hall in 1929. Its square stone columns were connected with a banner and covered with a Chinese roof, making the overall shape quaint as well as exquisite and chic.
紀(jì)念坊的四根石柱上，前后均琢有兩副對(duì)聯(lián)，并有橫額。
On the four columns of the Memorial Archway, there were two pairs of couplets as well as banners carved on both the front and the back sides.
其正面，外聯(lián)云：“環(huán)境平分三面水，樹(shù)人已半百年功”，中聯(lián)云：“淞水鐘靈英才樂(lè)育，尼山知命聲教覃敷”，橫額有兩排：上為“紀(jì)念坊”，下為“緝熙光明”。
On the front, the first line of the couplet reads: “環(huán)境平分三面水，樹(shù)人已半百年功”, meaning that “The environment is surrounded by water on three sides, the work of cultivating talents has been going on for half a century”. The second of the couplet reads: “淞水鐘靈英才樂(lè)育，尼山知命聲教覃敷”, meaning that “On this picturesque campus on the Suzhou River, extraordinary teachers are always ready to cultivate the next generation; for over five decades, St. John’s has had a reputation for fostering countless talents”. There are two rows of banners: the one on the top reads “紀(jì)念坊”(“Memorial Archway”), and the other on the bottom reads “緝熙光明”,meaning that “Brightness comes from continuously joint efforts”.
其背面，外聯(lián)云：“明禮達(dá)用是為國(guó)華天挺之才資造就，新命舊邦廣開(kāi)學(xué)舍海通而浚此權(quán)與”，中聯(lián)是：“合中西于一爐五十載締造經(jīng)營(yíng)蔚成學(xué)府，在東南為巨擘千萬(wàn)人濯磨淬礪用揚(yáng)國(guó)光”，橫額亦有兩排：上為“圣約翰大學(xué)”，下為“光與真理”，是為約大校訓(xùn)。兩側(cè)是“學(xué)而不思則罔，思而不學(xué)則殆”。
On the back, the first line of the couplet reads: “明禮達(dá)用是為國(guó)華天挺之才資造就，新命舊邦廣開(kāi)學(xué)舍海通而浚此權(quán)與”,meaning “Being aware of etiquette and putting it into use brought gifted people for the country; the old country shall be renovated and more schools should be built across the land so that the power can be adopted properly”, the second line of the couplet reads: “合中西于一爐五十載締造經(jīng)營(yíng)蔚成學(xué)府，在東南為巨擘千萬(wàn)人濯磨淬礪用揚(yáng)國(guó)光”, which means: “A prestigious university features an integration of Chinese and Western cultures over half a century since its establishment; tens of thousands of outstanding figures who survived the economic hurricane raging in Southeast China markets promote the bright future of the country”. There are also stone tablets with banners: the one on the top reads “St. John’s University” and the other on the bottom reads “Light and Truth”, which is the motto of St. John’s. On both sides it reads “Learning without thinking causes confusion, and thinking without learning is hazardous”.
