In 1955, in order to raise funds for the expansion of the University, an appeal was launched in the name of the Princess Alice, the University's first Chancellor. One of the first large donations was the sum of £40,000 given anonymously by a Canadian for the building of a chapel.

The building that now serves as the University's Chapel began life in 1799 as a sugar factory on the Gayle's Valley Estate in the Queen of Spain's Valley, Trelawny. The Princess Alice suggested to Mrs. Kelly Lawson, the Estate's owner at the time, that this fine example of West Indian architecture could be preserved in a useful manner by presenting it to the University College for reconstruction as a chapel. Mrs. Kelly Lawson agreed and the building was subsequently transferred stone by stone from the Gales Valley Estate to Mona. A part of the cost of the transportation was paid by the Custos of the Parish of St. James, the Honourable Francis M. Kerr-Jarrett.

The University's architects, Norman and Dawbarn, supervised the reconstruction of the building which began in April, 1956. The Chapel font is made of coral limestone taken from Chapel Plantation in St. Phillips, Barbados. The carved pattern at the top shows the ackee and the breadfruit; the former in full and in sections, the latter fruit surrounded by its broad leaves. This carving was done by Karl Broodhagen of Barbados.

The east window was donated by Princess Alice. It was produced from the design of Mr. E. Liddall Armitage of Whitefriars Stained Glass Studios of London. The central figure in the window is the Risen Christ. The saints Thomas, Andrew (on the left), Catherine and James (on the right) as well as St. Elizabeth and St. Ann (in the Centre) were chosen because these are the names of parishes in many islands in the Caribbean. Saint Mona was suggested because Mona is the name of the old sugar estate, a part of which is included in the University lands. "The design of the window is conceived as a mosaic of coloured Norman slab glass to give a jewelesque effect of pattern with figures contrasted against a varied background. There are various details interwoven into the design such as the initials of the saints in the border and the pomegranate representing the resurrection and immortality."

Records relating to the construction of the University Chapel are available for consultation in the University Archives, Mona under Archives Accession No. MA92.1.