1929年，曹家渡绅民为纪念圣约翰大学建校 50 周年在怀施堂正前方立纪念坊。纪念坊四根石柱前后均琢有两副对联，并有横额，精巧别致，古色古香。1955年初纪念坊被拆除，1992年重建。
1929年，曹家渡绅民为纪念圣约翰大学建校50周年，在怀施堂草坪前立一中国传统风格的纪念牌坊，形状古朴，方石柱上连横额覆中式屋顶，整体看上去精巧而别致。
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.
纪念坊的四根石柱上，前后均琢有两副对联，并有横额。
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，外联云：“环境平分三面水，树人已半百年功”，中联云：“淞水钟灵英才乐育，尼山知命声教覃敷”，横额有两排：上为“纪念坊”，下为“缉熙光明”。
On the front, the first line of the couplet reads: “环境平分三面水，树人已半百年功”, 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: “淞水钟灵英才乐育，尼山知命声教覃敷”, 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 “纪念坊”(“Memorial Archway”), and the other on the bottom reads “缉熙光明”,meaning that “Brightness comes from continuously joint efforts”.
其背面，外联云：“明礼达用是为国华天挺之才资造就，新命旧邦广开学舍海通而浚此权与”，中联是：“合中西于一炉五十载缔造经营蔚成学府，在东南为巨擘千万人濯磨淬砺用扬国光”，横额亦有两排：上为“圣约翰大学”，下为“光与真理”，是为约大校训。两侧是“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆”。
On the back, the first line of the couplet reads: “明礼达用是为国华天挺之才资造就，新命旧邦广开学舍海通而浚此权与”,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: “合中西于一炉五十载缔造经营蔚成学府，在东南为巨擘千万人濯磨淬砺用扬国光”, 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”.
