In 1903, Robert James Sprott partnered with William Henry Shaw of Shaw Colleges to open the first Sprott Shaw School, originally named the Vancouver Business Institute. RJ Sprott and WH Shaw’s development plans included four schools in Vancouver, one in Nanaimo, and one in Victoria. In 1913, RJ Sprott and James Beatty opened Sprott Shaw College in Victoria, which has been in continuous operation since its opening. The college survived economic recessions, two World Wars, and the Great Depression – all which made its foundation stronger for today.

Always striving to offer accommodating programs based on the needs of the community, Sprott Shaw specifically designed programs to retrain military personnel after the Second World War. The training included Morse Code, Radio Broadcasting, and Aviation. During this time, the college established a broadcast station for the school with a signal connection being read as far away as Hawaii. The station was broadcasted by the legendary Jack Cullen and Ernie Rose, who were also graduates of the school.

In the 1930s, Sprott Shaw College took over British Columbia Airways and offered flight training at their Aviation School. During this time, gliders were used to teach students elementary flight principles and allow them to practice flight control.