The University of Saskatchewan: A Personal History 9781487574826

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN A Personal History

The University of Saskatchewan A PERSONAL HISTORY

W. P. THOMPSON

Published in Association with the University of Saskatchewan by University of Toronto Press

© University of Toronto Press 1970 Printed in Canada by University of Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo SBN 8020-1661-8

Reprinted in 2018 ISBN 978-1-4875-8535-8 (paper)

Contents

Preface

1

1

Forerunners

3

2

The Founding: The University Act of 1907 12

3 Between the Act and the Opening: Planning and Preparation 27 4 Policies and Principles 5 The First Year

51

68

6

Pre-War Years

7

World Wan

8

The Crisis of 1919

9

The Nineteen-Twenties

78 98 106

10

The Depression 122

11

World War II

12

Post-War Explosion

13

The Colleges 1 47

14

Extension 182

15

The Faculty 188

16

Prominent Graduates

17

Murray as Planner

128 1 39

229

202

218

Administrative Officers Index

119

227

Preface

MANY FRIENDS have urged that I am better qualified than almost anyone else to write a personal history of the University of Saskatchewan. The qualifications include forty-six years (all but the first four after the opening) in the university's service, mainly as an administrative officer from department head to president; acquaintanceship with all its great figures, such as Murray, Haultain, Bracken, Oliver, Ling, Morton, Moxon, and Mackenzie; close friendship with most of them; participation in the making of nearly all important decisions and in implementing many of them; learning during that participation the real reasons, which were not always the same as the stated reasons, for decisions and actions; awareness of the things which went on behind the scenes and the reasons for them; and discussions of university affairs with all provincial premiers after 1917. Those qualifications should be of special value in writing a history which would not only recount the facts and events as recorded in official documents, but also attempt to explain reasons, motives, objectives, influences, effects of personalities, shortcomings, and disappointments - in short, give the background of the recorded events. That is the kind of history which has been attempted in this book. Such discussions of background depend heavily on personal recollections which, of course, cannot be documented. Nor in this case is much documentation needed in the purely factual parts of the history because all the constituent bodies (such as the board of governors, the senate, faculties, and committees) kept full records in the form of minutes and reports, in which can be found the official account of any event. Precise references are therefore largely restricted to places where the official account may be of an unexpected nature or may differ from the account given in this book. Some precise references are to more comprehensive, secondary sources which may be useful to the general reader. I am aware, of course, of the opinion of those professional historians who think that nothing should be written as history which has not been read

.2.

l>R£FAC£

in official documents, that those documents should always be deflnitely given as references, and that undocumented memories are not to be relied upon. I maintain, however, that such restrictions would exclude much of the best part of real history, and that many things may find their way into quotable documents which are no more to be relied upon than the recollections of a conscientious man. This history has not been carried beyond the year 1959, except in connection with a few details, for the following reasons: that year was the jubilee anniversary of the opening; it marked a definite break in the university's development; I retired immediately after the jubilee celebrations and have therefore not been in close personal touch with subsequent developments; owing to the recent influx of students and the consequent expansion of the institution, many complications have arisen, an adequate description of which would have added unduly to the book's labour and length. A note on methods: every one of the many thousands of pages in the annual reports of the president and other administrative officers was read and notes made on all the subjects dealt with. Each subject was then looked up in the minutes of the constituent bodies and in other documents. Next, much time was spent in reviving and writing my personal recollections about those subjects, particularly when they supplemented the records. Finally, although there are no longer many survivors of the earlier decades, colleagues who were likely to have first-hand information on doubtful points were consulted. Among those who helped in the writing of this book special thanks must be expressed to the late Vice-President A. C. McEown, Controller J. A. Pringle, Professors J. G. Rempel and J. M. Naylor, and Doctor Margaret Wilson Thompson, all of whom read portions of the manuscript critically; Miss Ruth Murray of the Library staff, who searched out many references; Miss Muriel Stein, who prepared a complete list of faculty members with pertinent data about each; the late Dr. Thorbergur Thorvaldson, who provided information about men and events of the earlier decades; and Mrs. Regina Purda, whose expert secretarial help was cheerfully carried far beyond the call of duty.

1

Forerunners

SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS of higher education struggled to be born in that part of the North West Territories from which the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were subsequently created. Only one of them grew up to healthy, vigorous maturity and is still flourishing. One was a premature, weak, and puny infant which managed to survive for only nine precarious years. All the rest "died abornin." It should not surprise anybody that only one grew to maturity, because the pioneers were few in number (only 56,000 at the census of 1881), thinly scattered over an immense area, and mostly impecunious. Besides, there were only a few small high schools and "continuation classes"1 which could train students for higher studies. In these circumstances, the surprise is that so many attempts were made to start institutions of higher education. EMMANUEL COLLEGE

The earliest such institution was Emmanuel College, established in 1879 in Prince Albert.2 Its founder was the Rt. Rev. John McLean, first bishop of the new Anglican diocese of Saskatchewan, which at the time stretched from Lake Winnipeg to the Rocky Mountains and from the American boundary to the Arctic Ocean. Since its headquarters were in Prince Albert, the college was naturally located there as well. Very soon after he took up his duties, Bishop McLean became convinced that the work of the church among the Indians could best be carried on through "native helpers," as he called them. They would serve as pastors preaching to the Indians in their mother tongue, and also as catechists, teachers, and interpreters. For the primary purpose of 1 2

Classes at the high school level provided by elementary schools in some places where there were no high schools. Jean E. Murray, "Early History of Emmanuel College," Saskatchewan History, 9 (1956), 81-101. This is the fullest account of the history of both Emmanuel College and the first University of Saskatchewan, and their relationships.

4

THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

training the native helpers, Bishop McLean established Emmanuel College in 1879. The training course included English, religion, and systematic instruction in the Cree and Sioux languages, with much practice in vocabulary and syntax. Bishop McLean believed that the teaching of Indian students to write their own language grammatically was on a higher level than anywhere else on the continent. Through an appeal to friends in England he secured funds to erect two college buildings. One of them contained classrooms and a library; the other was a dormitory. In 1880 the buildings were officially opened by the lieutenant-governor of the territories. The college staff consisted of the bishop, who was an experienced and enthusiastic teacher, and two clergymen. However, the church had a responsibility to serve the white settlers as well as the Indians. It was true that the white settlements of the plains were growing slowly, but they were growing steadily and it was anticipated that they would grow more rapidly with the anticipated advent of the CPR.3 Bishop McLean had been unable to attract enough qualified clergymen from eastern Canada or England to serve the white settlements of his diocese, perhaps because the hard pioneering and climatic conditions deterred them. At any rate, the bishop decided to train his own clergymen in his own college and for that purpose in 1881 he added a second educational program to the work of Emmanuel College. That was a regular three-year course in theology for candidates for holy orders and was similar and probably equivalent to typical theological courses taught in colleges of English dioceses. Experience in conducting the two courses (for native helpers and for candidates for holy orders), as well as contemplation of the general educational conditions in his diocese, convinced the bishop that a third program was needed, a general, liberal arts course. Accordingly, in 1882. he added such a course to the offerings of Emmanuel. It is clear from his correspondence and from his reports to his synod that he expected to make it a course at the college level, but he may have had some doubt about the possibility of doing so because he frequently referred to it as "the diocesan collegiate - school." Whether it actually rose above the high school level and if so in what respects and to what extent cannot now be stated, but there is no doubt that from the standpoint of popularity and attendance it soon became the most important part of the 3 Everyone in the west expected up to the time when construction of the CPR actually started that it would be routed across the northern part of the prairies, not far south of Prince Albert, and that it would take the comparatively easy Yellowhead Pass through the mountains. Construction was begun on the southern route before a feasible route through the mountains was found.

FORERUNNERS

5

whole institution. In its very first year (1882), it had 18 students whereas the rest of the college had only 12, of whom five were Indians. By 1886, Bishop McLean was able to report to his synod that the college had become the mainstay of the diocese for the supply of clergy. After 1882, the fortunes of Emmanuel College became closely involved with those of the second institution of higher education to which we must now turn. THE FIRST UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

Although Bishop McLean had organized Emmanuel according to his own educational ideas, he was not satisfied with its status as a college. He thought that his diocese needed and deserved a full-fledged university, and therefore petitioned the federal parliament in 1883 for a charter for a University of Saskatchewan at Prince Albert, with which Emmanuel College would be associated. Parliament referred the petition to a committee which examined the need and studied the constitution as proposed in the charter. On the committee's recommendation, the charter was granted by an act of parliament late in 1883. It may be noted that the charter was granted 22 years before the province was created and 24 years before the legislature of the province passed the act which established the second or provincial University of Saskatchewan. Although education was not a federal responsibility under the terms of the BNA Act, the MPS no doubt found justification for the federal action in the fact that the territories were not provinces to which the responsibility had been assigned under the act. The legislature of the territories, however, had at least as much right as the federal parliament to issue such a charter and in fact claimed that right in two later instances. As there was no territorial legislature in 1883 (one was established in 1888), residents of the territories could elect only a small minority of the lieutenant-governor's council, its remaining members being named by the federal government and being mostly government officials.4 The university which Bishop McLean envisaged for Prince Albert, as he told his synod in 1883 and as set out in the bill which was passed 4 L. H. Thomas, The Struggle for Responsible Government in the North West Territories (Toronto 1965), 76. An ingenious section of the North West Territories Act of 1875 provided that when an area of 1,000 square miles acquired a population of 1,000 adult whites, it could elect a member of the council. And when there were 21 such areas, the council would become a legislative assembly with all the rights of such an assembly. That stage was reached in 1888.

6 THE UNIVE:R.SITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

by parliament, would consist of a series of colleges, each established and supported by a religious denomination and each teaching arts and science as well as theology. In fact, all the real work of the institution would be carried on by the colleges, the university to be only an examining and degree-conferring body. There were no plans for professional colleges. An institution of precisely that type was already in existence in the neighbouring province of Manitoba and was referred to as a model by the bishop. The University of Manitoba did not become a teaching institution until 1904. Bishop McLean asked not only for a charter, but also for a grant of a large area of crown land to serve as an endowment for the university. During the 1880s and 1890s the board of education of the territories, the lieutenant governor-in-council, the legislative assembly, and groups of interested private citizens made repeated efforts to persuade the government to grant such a land endowment for a university, but whereas the government was willing to grant a charter which cost it nothing, it declined to give more tangible support. If Bishop McLean really wanted the other denominations to take part in the new university by establishing colleges within it, the provisions of the charter granted at his request by parliament gave no evidence of any such desire. On the contrary, the charter gave the Church of England almost complete control and management of the university. The chancellor was to be ex officio the bishop of Saskatchewan, who in 1883 was McLean himself. The vice-chancellor, who as chief executive officer was the most important official, was to be named by the chancellor. The senate was to consist of nine Anglicans, laymen and clergymen. Although the university was authorized to take any number of colleges into affiliation, it could incorporate only one, which of course was Emmanuel. In these circumstances it is not surprising that no college other than Emmanuel was ever established in connection with the university. The bishop did not improve matters by proclaiming enthusiastically and repeatedly that the Church of England had been given a wonderful opportunity. It seems as if he really wanted to give that church the prestige of having a university of its own, but the university never amounted to much despite his enthusiasm. It is true that a few meetings were called, nominally by a university official, and a few reports made, but they were made to the Anglican synod. In fact, Emmanuel College and University of Saskatchewan were almost interchangeable terms, although the institution usually was called "Emmanuel College." The attitude of the population, if it was reflected accurately by the newspapers, also did little to promote the affiliation of any college other than

FORERUNNERS

7

Emmanuel with the university. For example, the Prince Albert Times maintained that the movement for the establishment of a university was premature because of the small population of the territories and because of the small number of prospective students, and it also maintained that if a university was to be established it should be non-sectarian. In spite of the advantages which Emmanuel College enjoyed through its terms of incorporation, it encountered severe difficulties after Bishop McLean's death in 1886. His successor, Bishop Pinkham, did not share his "large ideas and ardent hopes" for the college, but rather thought they were "far in advance of the requirements of the country." Therefore, he and his associates allowed the college to become nothing more than an Indian boarding school for several years. Bishop Pinkham's successor, however, Bishop Newnham, was convinced that the founder's ideas and plans had been sound, and was strongly supported in this opinion by Archdeacon George Exton Lloyd (leader of the Barr colonists after Barr was deposed), who subsequently became principal of the college. Shortly after the tum of the century the two clergymen persuaded the synod that the college should be restored to the condition it had enjoyed under Bishop McLean. As far as possible that was done. The future of both the college and the university was soon complicated by the establishment of the provincial University of Saskatchewan. The act of the legislature which established that university in 1907 included a clause which stated: "No other university having corporate powers capable of being exercised within the province shall be known by the same name; nor shall any other university have power to grant degrees except in theology." That provision was obviously aimed at the first University of Saskatchewan. Although Bishop Newnham lodged a protest against the provision,he and his synod were persuaded, largely by Principal Lloyd, that if the provincial university were to be established within the diocese, which by this time had been restricted to the northern half of the province, they should give up the federal charter and join the provincial university. The college would thereby be relieved of the necessity of providing arts courses and would have the numerous other advantages of being associated with a real university. If the provincial university were to be located in the south, outside the diocese (for example, at Regina), the college should retain its federal charter and exercise all the rights conferred on it by the charter. Accordingly when Saskatoon, which was within the diocese of Saskatchewan, was chosen as the site of the new university, Emmanuel College moved to its campus as an affiliated college, and was from the beginning a source of great strength for the new university.11 5 The name was then changed to the University of Emmanuel College.

8

THE UNIVERSITY OF SASICATCHEWAN

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE

A second Anglican theological college was established at Qu'Appelle in 188.5.8 By that time the southern half of the huge diocese of Saskatchewan had been detached as the diocese of Qu'Appelle, its bishop being a man named Anson. Like Bishop McLean earlier, he was unable to recruit enough clergy to meet the needs of his diocese, which were increasing because of the influx of settlers accompanying or following the CPR. Again like Bishop McLean, he decided to train his own clergy in his own college at his own headquarters. St. John's College was combined with a large farm and a boys' school. Young men who wished to become candidates for holy orders but who could not afford to attend college in England were able to do so at Qu'Appelle by working on the farm in summer and attending lectures in winter. Some young men who had no intention of becoming clergymen but only wished to become farmers also worked on the farm, acquiring agricultural experience and training. A few students were recruited for the college from the boys' school. Although the college never had more than a handful of students, by 1892 it had trained 12 of the 16 clergymen of the diocese, an achievement that Bishop Anson thought justified its existence. It was, however, in constant financial difficulties and incurred substantial annual deficits which were met by the bishop either from his own private resources or by appealing to friends in England. When he resigned in 1893, the synod realized that the establishment of the college had been premature and that they would be unable to keep it alive. Therefore, it was closed in 1894 and its property sold. WESTERN CANADA COLLEGE

At the tum of the century an active movement was being carried on to establish a University of Western Canada at Calgary.7 According to the plan, the institution was to be organized and controlled by a private company which would raise the necessary funds by issuing shares with a capital value of $50,000. The company was actually incorporated in 1903 by an ordinance of the legislative assembly of the North West 6 Lucy H. Murray, "St. John's College of Qu'Appelle," Saskatcheu111n History, (1958), 18-29.

11

7 A. S. Morton and C. King, Saskatchewan: The Making of a Unit,ersity (Toronto 1959). This was a manuscript written by Professor Morton and revised by Professor King.

FORERUNNERS

9

Territories, but the name was changed to "Western Canada College." According to the terms of incorporation it was to offer instruction at both the secondary and higher levels, to be undenominational, and to be open to both sexes. It was not given the right to grant degrees and so became a residential boys' school. ALBERTA COLLEGE

In 1903, too, the Methodist church decided to start an arts college in Edmonton,8 a decision which was in agreement with the church's policy. It had earlier established Wesley College in Winnipeg and continued to operate it even after the provincial University of Manitoba began teaching. Later it started Regina College and thereby promoted the interests of those who were in opposition to the provincial University of Saskatchewan (p. 34). Since the provincial University of Alberta was not yet in existence, there was greater justification for a church-sponsored arts college even in the tiny Edmonton of 1903 than in the capital cities of the two provinces which had state-sponsored universities. The arrangements for the opening of the college were quickly completed or at least well advanced, because not long after the decision to start the college had been reached, advertisements for students were published. The college was started in 1903 under the name of "Alberta College," but its ambition to be an arts college granting degrees was thwarted by the stand taken by F. W. G. Haultain, premier of the territories (later Sir Frederick), that no college should be given the right to confer degrees unless it was sponsored and supported by the state. That stand was taken in the legislature and approved by the members during the debate on Haultain's bill to establish an "unneeded" territorial university (see below). The college then developed as an institution giving courses in matriculation, commercial work, music, education, and art and eventually became affiliated with the University of Alberta. HAULTAIN'S "UNNEEDED" TERRITORIAL UNIVERSITY

Premier Haultain opposed Alberta College's ambition to confer degrees because he was alarmed by the trend towards the establishment of denominational and local colleges and thought that they might seriously 8

J. M. MacEachem, "The History of Education in Alberta," in Canada and Its Provinces, Vol. 20 (Toronto 1914), 497.

10 THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

hamper the development of a first-rate university. A very able, welleducated man of high principles, he was well aware of the harmful effects of similar developments in other provinces and was determined to forestall them in the west. He was convinced that higher education should be recognized as a state responsibility and that only with the strong support of the state government could a good, all-round university be established and maintained. He therefore wished to prevent the domination of higher education by small denominational and local colleges with their constant rivalry and bickering. Accordingly, in 1903 he placed before the territorial legislature a bill to establish a state university for the territories.9 In introducing the bill he admitted that a university was not yet needed, and he made no effort to bring it into operation. Neither a name nor a site was suggested. According to the census of 1901 the population of the whole immense area was only 175,000 and only a few small high schools to provide the necessary preparation were in existence. The passing of the bill did serve notice, however, that the legislature would not grant any institution the right to confer degrees unless it was supported and controlled by the state. Haultain had a second reason for securing the adoption of an act to establish a university. He wished to secure from the federal government a grant of land as an endowment before all or most of the good land had been taken up by settlers, fearing that if he waited until a university was needed, most of the good land would no longer be available, because during the first decade of the century the prairies were rapidly being settled. His effort was no more successful than earlier efforts had been. The influx of settlers which caused him to make the effort hastened the day when a 'University would really be needed, and in fact, only four years after Haultain introduced his bill in the legislative assembly of the territories the legislature of Saskatchewan passed an act establishing the provincial University of Saskatchewan. That University opened its doors two years later. The constitution of the territorial university for which Haultain's bill provided was similar in most respects to that of the later provincial university, but included some unique points. That was to be expected since in the founding of the provinical university, Haultain, as leader of the opposition in the Saskatchewan legislature, played a conspicuous and statesmanlike part. The chief difference between the two bills was the absence from the earlier one of any provision for a board of governors to manage the business affairs of the institution. The idea of such 9 Ordinance of the legislature of the North West Territories, Sess. 12, c. 26, s. 27, 190;.

FORERUNNERS

11

a board did not enter Canadian thinking about the administration of universities until 1906, when it was recommended by the Goldwin Smith Royal Com.mission of the University of Toronto. In Haultain's proposed university, as in other universities of the time, both business and academic affairs were to be supervised by a senate. Haultain's senate differed from the others in that nearly all its members were to be elected by the alumni, a feature which was carried over into the constitution of the provincial institution.

2 The Founding:

The University Act of 1907

AFTER

THE

PROVINCES of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created in

1905, their governments and legislatures faced a formidable series of

complicated tasks in organizing a modern state which would provide the necessary and desirable services, and which would safeguard the citizens' rights, privileges, and customs. It was necessary to formulate, debate, and enact many laws and regulations, to set up local governments, and to organize complex departments for the administration of education, justice, finances, agriculture, and roads. For these purposes technically trained personnel had to be hired and fitted into smoothly operating enterprises. Within two years the government of Saskatchewan had carried through at least the main tasks and was ready to undertake the founding of a state university, and by that time a university was definitely needed. The census of 1906 showed that the population was 257,000 and that it was growing rapidly; by 1911 it reached 492,000.1 Accordingly on 13 March 1907, the minister of education, J. A. Calder, introduced in the legislature a bill to establish the provincial University of Saskatchewan. When that bill was enacted it became the constitution of the university. 2 Formerly Haultain's deputy commissioner of education in the territorial government, Calder in 1907 was an important member of the Liberal government, whereas Haultain was leader of the Conservative opposition. 3 Despite their political divergence, however, their views on 1. Most of the factual material in this chapter is taken directly from the University

Act as passed by the legislature in 1.907, or from subsequent amendments. Most of the interpretative material is from W. C. Murray, ''The University of Saskatchewan," Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 25 (1.941.), 95-1.1.7; from Murray's early presidential reports, or from the author's recollections. 2 Morton and King, Saskatchewan : The Making of a University (Toronto 1.959), gives an account of the debate in the legislature. 3 In view of Haultain's service to the university at that time and subsequently as chancellor, it should be mentioned that on the basis of his distinguished record

THE FOUNDING

'1 '3

the essential requirements of a university constitution were in remarkably close agreement. They had probably reached agreement on most points before Haultain placed his bill for the "unneeded" university before the territorial legislature in '1903. 4 Now that they were the chief spokesmen on the question for their respective parties in the Saskatchewan legislature, it became clear that they were working together whole-heartedly to formulate the best possible constitution for the new university, so throughout the debates on the bill there was no sign of political partisanship. Moreover, as long as Haultain and Calder remained at their posts, there was a complete absence of political controversy when university affairs came before the legislature. The atmosphere which they created and the traditions which they established regarding the way in which university affairs should be handled by the legislature persisted long after their job there was finished. The University of Saskatchewan was very fortunate to have had Haultain and Calder as attending doctors at its birth and as pediatrical advisers through its early years. The University Act was passed on 3 April '1907, having been modelled on that of the University of Toronto, which had been thoroughly revised the previous year in accordance with the recommendations of the Goldwin Sinith Royal Commission. 5 Because of the excellence of the commission's report, the constitutions of most Canadian universities eventually came to resemble Toronto's rather closely. The Saskatchewan Act of '1907 provided for the now fainiliar constituent bodies convocation, senate, board of governors, council - and defined their duties, powers, membership, and interrelationships. For some reason, nothing was said about the faculties, which have become the most important constituent bodies. The act also set out the duties, authority, and method of selection of the chief officers - chancellor, president, registrar, and bursar. Again it is strange that nothing was said about the deans, who have become important and powerful administrative officers. The act's provisions are outlined briefly in this chapter. Some of them have, of course, been modified substantially by subsequent amendments. For the sake of clarity and the convenience of the reader in as premier of the territories and of his non-partisan administration, he should have been made premier of Saskatchewan, but he had antagonized the federal government by his criticisms of the educational clauses of the Autonomy Acts of 1905 and of the refusal to give the provinces their natural resources. He was therefore passed over in favour of a reliable Liberal. 4 See p.10. ; Report of the Royal Commission on the University of Toronto (Toronto 1906).

14

THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

following the story of the constitutional changes, as well as to avoid repetition, the more important subsequent changes relating to each governing body and officer are also brought together in this chapter and outlined in logical sequence. It is believed that this will be more satisfactory than dealing with them in scattered fashion in later chapters covering the time periods in which they were made.

CONVOCATION

According to the act, convocation was to consist ultimately of all the graduates of the university, but until a sufficient number of graduates had been produced, it was also to include the graduates of all the universities of His Majesty's Dominions who were residing in the province. In making up the first convocation roll all those were included who submitted their names and credentials by a certain date, these totalling 414. Gradually convocation came to consist almost exclusively of Saskatchewan graduates. It was assigned two duties. One of these was that it was to elect twelve of the sixteen members of the senate. This was a departure from the practice in other universities and represented Haultain's desire to place the formulation of university policies in the hands of those who would be most interested and knowledgeable in university affairs, namely its graduates. Those who would be elected would be members of the professions trained by the university and would therefore understand not only the educational needs of the professions but the way in which the university was meeting - or failing to meet those needs. Subsequent amendments of the act have nearly deprived convocation of this function. It now elects only one-eighth of the members of the senate, the rest being chosen in other ways which will be described in the section on the senate. The election has naturally come to be a very perfunctory process. Few graduates allow their names to be brought forward and no debate on university questions ever takes place during the election. Convocation's second duty was "to consider all questions affecting the interests and well-being of the university and to make representations thereon to other university bodies." Obviously the whole assembly of graduates soon became much too large a body to debate all questions affecting the interests and well-being of the university, or even to debate ordinary questions. It could conceivably serve a valuable purpose at a time of crisis in university affairs when it was desirable to ascertain the views of the whole body of graduates on any question

THE FOUNDING

15

which seriously threatened the institution's well-being. In the whole history of the university the authority thus given to convocation has been exercised only once. Only on one occasion has it been called together to consider a crisis in university affairs. 6 Therefore this provision of the act has been ineffective. Since convocation has been deprived of one of its two original duties and has only once attempted to carry out the other, it now has no real function. All it does is meet once or twice a year and observe the ceremony of conferring degrees. Even that ceremony is arranged and carried through by administrative officers. Convocation should be recognized for what it has become: a meeting of those interested in the university to witness the ceremony of conferring degrees. A body with the same potential membership, the Alumni Association, is much more active and interested in university affairs and appears to be a much more suitable organization to do anything which convocation might be called upon to do.

SENATE

The University Act gave the senate general supervision of the academic affairs of the university and specifically mentioned such affairs as the establishment of new colleges, schools, departments, chairs, and scholarships, granting degrees, and determining all courses of study in all the colleges. In respect to its functions, therefore, it was to resemble closely the senates of other universities. However, in respect to its membership it was to be quite unique. Whereas in other universities it consisted largely or entirely of senior educational persons, most of whom held their memberships by virtue of their positions either inside or outside the university, in Saskatchewan there were to be only four such ex officio members: the president, the provincial commissioner of education, the principal of the normal school, and the chairman of the educational council. 7 The majority of senators (12) were to be elected on a geographic basis by convocation from among its own members. Through subsequent amendments of the act and especially through an extensive revision made in 1946, the senate has become a body of some 60 members, approximately one-third of whom are academics 6 See Ch. 8. 7

The educational council was a committee appointed by the government to advise the department of education. Its chief duty was to protect the interests of Roman Catholics. All textbooks had to be approved by it before they could be authorized for use in the schools.

16

THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

holding membership by virtue of their positions as deans, directors, or principals of affiliated colleges. 8 Only one-eighth continues to be elected by convocation on a geographic basis. The majority are representatives of professional, occupational, and cultural societies and other organizations "which contribute in a significant way to the social, economic, and cultural welfare of the province," and which are authorized to choose their own representatives. Naturally, many organizations wish to have the prestige of being represented on the university senate. Because few such representatives are engaged in educational work, almost none at the university level, the majority of senators feel unqualified to take part in the management of educational affairs or even to discuss those affairs at the university level. In practice, therefore, the supervision of academic affairs became a function of the teaching staff, and the senate became a body which met twice a year, listened to reports and recommendations from the teaching staff, and usually approved the recommendations with only perfunctory discussion, the academic members having, of course, already heard the discussions at the faculty level. The senators rarely proposed changes or even raised questions, so that in fact the senate became little more than a rubber stamp for faculty decisions. An example of the futility of procedures in the senate is the fact that on the day before convocation meets the senators must solemnly approve the list of students who are to receive their degrees the next day, although more than half of the senators know nothing about the matter. The list has been carefully prepared by the faculties and has been in print for days as the convocation program. Another example of senatorial futility is that until recently senators had to approve all classes taught in all the colleges of the university. This they did by passing a blanket resolution approving the new calendar, which none of them had seen. That practice has quietly fallen into disuse, the senators having presumably decided that the faculties know their business. It is sometimes argued that the existence of a senate composed largely of non-academics, even if it is little more than a rubber stamp, is justified by the figure of a "window on society."9 The window is said to enable members of the staff to keep in touch with affairs and opinions of the outer world and also to enable some of those in the outer world to peek in and see what is going on inside. That figure of speech may 8 Legislative assembly of Saskatchewan, c. 51, An Act Respecting the University of Saskatchewan, 1946. 9 Report of the Committee on the Organization and Structure of the University, October 1965.

THE FOUNDING

17

have been appropriate when, if ever, a much more commonly used figure, namely "the ivory tower," was justified. If such a figure ever was justified, the justification did not survive the period of the second Roosevelt, when academics became a brain trust in practical politics. Since then they have taken an increasing part in the affairs of society, and even the non-participants among academics are as closely in touch with those affairs as anyone else. The window is therefore no longer needed to enable professors to look out, nor is it needed to enable outsiders to peek in, because modem universities make good provision for public relations and the dissemination of university news. The justification for the existence of a senate is the need to provide for a review of academic decisions and for second thoughts on them. The need has increased with the growth of the teaching staff, which has become a body with hundreds of members, many of whom are young and with limited experience. Consequently there is a useful function for a smaller body in reconsidering staff decisions. Such a body might properly be called a senate, its function to be similar to that which political senates are supposed to perform. The academic senate should be composed chiefly of senior and experienced members of the staff who have proved their qualifications over the years, together with a few administrative personnel such as president, deans, and principals of affiliated institutions. The non-administrative members should be elected democratically by the whole faculty, which could be trusted to elect their best qualified members.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The University Act vested in the board of governors the "management, administration and control of the property, revenues, business and affairs of the university." A sharp separation was implied between those business and managerial matters and academic matters which were to be the responsibility of the senate. Such a separation was possible and desirable with respect to many matters but could not always be clear-cut. Obviously, many decisions of a business nature may affect academic conditions and developments, and many changes desired by the academic bodies may involve the expenditure of money which the governors must provide. For example, the establishment of a new college or department depends on whether the governors can find the necessary additional money. Accordingly, certain clauses of the act provided for the correlation of the two bodies' activities in case of over-

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lapping jurisdictions. For example, the board was to provide money for the establishment and maintenance of such faculties, departments, chairs, and scholarships as were determined by the senate, but it was not to act in such matters without the senate's recommendation. All senate enactments in relation to those matters were to be formally transmitted to the board and were "to have no force or effect" until approved by it. Its approval was not to be based on educational grounds, but rather on its ability to provide the necessary funds. It should not succumb to the temptation of making a decision on the basis of its own educational opinion. In my experience of ten years on the board, I knew of only one instance in which a member raised a purely academic question and he was quickly informed that it was no business of the board. It is clear that close liaison should be maintained between senate and board. No doubt it was originally expected that the liaison would be provided through the president, who was to be a member of both bodies. There may at times, though, be a question of whether a single man is interpreting accurately the views of the academic bodies to the board or is permitting his statements to be coloured by his private opinions. In practice, therefore, it has been found that sometimes the best procedure is to set up a joint committee of board and senate (or faculty) to study the matter in question and make a recommendation to both bodies. Usually however, if there is goodwill, a determination to act within the spirit of the constitution, and confidence in the president on both sides, difficulties are not likely to arise. Perhaps the most unusual and striking feature of the 1907 act was its provisions for the membership of the board of governors. In other provincial universities the members were appointed by the government, which continues to be the usual practice, but the Saskatchewan Act directed that the majority were to be elected by the senate (indirectly, therefore, by the alumni). In the first draft of the act as introduced in the legislature by Calder, the government was to appoint three members, the senate two, and the sixth was to be the president. Haultain argued eloquently that the proportions should be reversed and that the senate should elect the majority. His argument was that the university should be removed as far as possible from political influences, and to support his argument he cited examples of how other universities had been injured by political interference. The legislature, he argued, should do its best to prevent such interference. He granted that since the government must provide the financial support of the university, it was only fair that it should have representatives on the board, but it should

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be satisfied with a minority. The provision of financial support would give it quite sufficient influence. The question was not made a partisan issue, so the final decision was that the board should consist of nine members, five to be elected by the senate, three to be appointed by the government, and the ninth to be the president. Saskatchewan became the first province in which the government's appointees on the board of the provincial university were limited to a minority. In most provinces the government still appoints all or most of the members. For many years the board's composition remained as set out in the original act, with the exception of the addition of the chancellor to its membership in 192 5. A major change in membership occurred in 1946 as a result of the 1944 election of a new government, some of whose members expressed doubt about the wisdom of limiting the government's representatives to a minority. It happened that at the time a joint committee (survey committee) of the various governing bodies of the university, under my chairmanship, was studying the constitution, organization, and administrative practices of the university.10 At the request of the new minister of education, W. S. Lloyd, this committee included in its studies the question of government representation on the board. Eventually the committee recommended that the board consist of 14 members : the chancellor, the president, the deputy minister of education, the deputy provincial treasurer, five members appointed by the government, and five members elected by the senate. This recommendation was accepted by the government and legislature and brought into force through a 1946 revision of the act. 11 By this revision, a perfect balance was achieved between government and university representatives, the former including the five appointed by the government plus the two deputy ministers, and the latter the five elected by the senate plus the chancellor and president. On the surface, it may appear that such a balance was fair and desirable, but in fact it was quite unnecessary. No subject has ever been before the board on which the government members voted one way and the university members the other way. No member ever thinks about which of his colleagues is a government representative and which a university representative and in most cases does not remember. If a stranger who did not know the members were to sit through a meeting of the board and listen to the discussions, he could never tell which was which. Much criticism was voiced about the provision that the two deputy 10 11

Report of the University of Saskatchewan Survey Committee, December 1945. Legislative assembly of Saskatchewan, c. 51, An Act Respecting the University of Saskatchewan, 1946.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

ministers would be board members because it was feared that they would give the government too much influence. That the arrangement has worked out excellently despite this fear has been due in part to the ability and integrity of the men who occupied those posts (for many years Mr. Allan McCallum and Mr. A. W. Johnston). However, no one could sit on the board, meeting after meeting, and hear at first-hand about the university's needs, problems, difficulties, achievements, and plans, without becoming a strong and well-informed supporter. And it is advantageous to the university to have such supporters in a position to explain university affairs to two important ministers. Under the original act the length of service of members of the board was quite indefinite and most of the original members served for many years, but under the revision of 1946 the term of service was limited to three years, although a member was eligible for a second term. Through this amendment the board would lose the services of some valuable men after six years, but some who were not so valuable would be replaced by ones who might be more useful. The regular infusion of new blood was likely to be beneficial.

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

When the first president read the act {passed a year before he was appointed), he objected strenuously to the provision that the senate was to supervise academic affairs, on the ground that most of the senators would be unqualified for the task either by training or experience, a criticism which turned out to be quite accurate, as we have seen. He maintained that the proper body to supervise academic affairs was the teaching staff and persuaded the senate to accept his view, although its implementation would deprive that body of most of its functions. The university then formally requested the legislature to amend the act in such a way as to transfer the supervision of academic affairs from the senate to the teaching staff and to designate the latter body as the university council. That meant transforming the council from a small, four-member, executive committee of the senate, which it was to be under the original act, into a body which would comprise all the permanent members of the faculty. The necessary amendment was passed by the legislature in 1909, the final authority nominally remaining with the senate, but it being unable to act on any specific question without first receiving a report with a recommendation from the council. From that time to the present the council has remained the whole

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permanent teaching staff and has managed its own affairs with rare interventions by the senate. Almost the only change has consisted of an enormous increase in its membership with the growth of the university; from the seven of 1909 to 500 today. That increase has made necessary a change in its procedures. Most of its large and increasing amount of business has had to be done through committees, one for each general category of business. In reality, the council has become much too large a body to manage effectively the numerous academic affairs or even to debate them properly. A much smaller body of 25 representatives elected by the faculties of the different colleges is needed and should be established. Such a body would be very similar both in membership and functions to a senate of the type which was advocated earlier (p. 17). Whether it is called council or senate does not matter, but it would correspond closely to the senates of other universities, past and present. The faculties of the individual colleges would then conduct their own affairs and out of the multitude of academic questions only those of far-reaching importance and those affecting more than one college would be sent up to the senate (or council). In summary, I have proposed only two changes in the council and senate: the replacement of the present unwieldy council by a small body of elected representatives; and the elimination of the numerous representatives of outside professional, social, and cultural organizations who are quite unqualified to supervise academic affairs and who actually make no contribution towards that supervision. Those two changes would produce a single efficient body of qualified and representative members.

SUMMARY OF HISTORICAL CHANGES IN FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNING BODIES

In the preceding sections of this chapter on the constituent bodies it was necessary to point out that the clauses of the original act which defined the powers and duties of those bodies had not proved entirely satisfactory for the following chief reasons : they were based on the erroneous assumption that academic affairs could be kept definitely and clearly separate from business and administrative affairs; they assigned too small a role and too little responsibility to the faculty on both the educational and administrative sides; from time to time the membership of the constituent bodies has been changed in such a way as to make the original assignments inappropriate. Therefore important changes in the functioning of those bodies have taken place, some by

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

amendments of the act and some by agreed changes in practice, although the spirit of the original act has been retained as far as possible. The resulting situation may be summarized as follows: those affairs and activities which are strictly academic are the sole responsibility of the faculty (council). The board is careful not to influence them by administrative decisions. The senate as constituted at present is concerned only with some of the more comprehensive and public issues. Even with respect to such issues it is recognized that the faculty should have the final decision but should give appropriate weight to those opinions of the senate which may differ from its own; those affairs which are of a strictly business or administrative nature are the sole responsibility of the governors, although the actual direction and supervision of such affairs may be carried on by administrative officers who receive their authority and instructions from the board; those affairs which have both an academic and a business aspect are the joint responsibility of the faculty and the board or of its administrative officers. Such affairs are numerous and constitute a considerable proportion of all the matters which come before the governing bodies. It is important that the rights and responsibility of the faculty with respect to these affairs be freely granted and that the faculty be encouraged to discharge the responsibility. Usually this can best be done by the use of joint committees. 12 It is especially important that matters which affect the status or interests of individual members be handled in this way, such as appointments, promotions, demotions, dismissals, changes of work, salary schedules, grants for research or travel, and leaves-of-absence. Some activities of a more general nature should also be handled through joint committees. Some committees should be more or less permanent but have provision for changes in personnel. Others should be specially established to deal with new,difficult,or particularly important matters. OFFICIALS

A

Chancellor

The chancellorship of a modern university is descended from a position of the same name in mediaeval universities, where the chancellor usually served also as chancellor of a nearby cathedral, and was by 1.2

The establishment of faculty or joint committees to take part in such administrative procedures resulted from a resolution passed by the board of governors in 1950.

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far the most powerful man in the university. After many struggles though, his powers were whittled away by the teaching staff 'Until he became only a figurehead. For many years men were chosen to act as chancellor who were prominent and highly regarded ex-politicians or professional men and who were similarly content to be figureheads in university affairs. Even though almost the chancellor's only duty was to preside on ceremonial occasions, the prestige was usually sufficient to attract prominent men; and in the interest of a favourable public image for the university it was thought desirable to have such men in the position. The University Act did nothing to change that tradition. The chancellor was to be elected by the members of convocation, would preside at meetings of convocation and formally confer the degrees, and would be chairman of the senate. For many years the men who were elected to the chancellorship in Saskatchewan were prominent judges, usually Chief Justices, but in 1.950 the custom was broken when Dr. F. Hedley Auld, who had rendered distinguished service to the province almost from its creation, as deputy minister of agriculture, was elected. Dr. Auld was much more than a figurehead, although the only function assigned to him, which most of his predecessors did not have, was acting as a member of the board. He proved to be the kind of man who serves effectively as a member or chairman of committees, whether investigative or administrative, and was given much committee work on important questions. In other ways also he made himself a useful member of the university community. He frequently exerted a strong influence behind the scenes, and was meticulous in the performance of his ceremonial duties. B

President

The powers and duties of the president on both the academic and administrative sides were defined in the act in very comprehensive terms. On both sides he was to be the chief executive officer. If the duties were to be carried out by him alone, he would be a busy and powerful man, but actually his powers are quite limited. The nature of a university is such that important decisions - and some unimportant ones - should be made by appropriate bodies: faculties, co'Uncil, senate, board, committees. It is the president's duty to see that all important questions are referred to the appropriate body. He may be the most influential person in helping those bodies to reach their decisions, but the decisions are theirs. Donald Creighton once pointed out that a uni-

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

versity presidency is like a constitutional monarchy; decisions may be made and actions taken in the name of the president, but that is only an historical fiction. If he tried to do anything important on his own, he would have his fingers politely rapped. His actual role is well recognized by everyone closely connected with a university, although the general public and the journalists who inform them are likely to have the misconception that he is responsible for everything important and to give him credit - or discredit - for it. The number of executive actions which were performed by the president alone or in his name increased enormously with the growth of the University. (These were, of course, in addition to much work in policymaking.) Through the first two presidencies (those of Murray and of J. S. Thomson) almost all those actions were performed by the president himself, although in some areas he delegated some authority. When I was appointed president in 1949, one of the conditions I made was the simultaneous appointment of a presidential assistant to share the load of executive duties. Subsequently several vice-presidents and a principal were appointed for the same purpose. Perhaps the most important duty assigned to the president in the original act was the making of recommendations with respect to appointments and promotions. The formal appointments had to be made by the board of governors and they could refuse to accept a president's recommendation, but they could take no independent action in this area. The board was, however, very unlikely to refuse to accept a president's recommendation if he had its general confidence and it wished to retain his services. This provision placed the president in a very strong position in this important area of administration. During J. 5. Thomson's presidency, complaints about his recommendations and the way in which he acquired the information for making them became rather frequent. Therefore the Survey Committee of 1944 was given the duty of studying these presidential recommendations.13 It proposed that before making a recommendation the president be required to consult a committee of knowledgeable persons specially set up to consider each case. This proposal was incorporated in the revision of the act which was passed in 1946.14 The appointment committee usually consisted of the president, the dean of the college concerned, the head of the department concerned, and a representative of the board. For certain professional appointments, knowledgeable per13 Report of the University of Saskatchewan Survey Committee, December 1945. 14 Legislative assembly of Saskatchewan, c. 51. An Act Respecting the University of Saskatchewan, 1946.

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sons from outside the university were included. Since the president was always a member of the appointment committee and took part in its discussions, he rarely failed to make the committee's recommendation his own. The use of such appointment committees is wise. For most vacancies other members of the staff are in a better position than the president to assess the qualifications of a candidate, although with experience and a flair for judging men, including the reliability of his advisers and committee members, the president can contribute to the deliberations of the committees. The medial position of the president between the faculty and board may sometimes be difficult. If the board is unable or unwilling to grant something which the faculty wants, such as a general salary increase, it is perhaps natural for the academics, or some of them, to regard the president as on the board's side, or to think that if he had presented their case fairly and forcefully to the board, the decision would have been different. It would never do for him to place himself openly on the faculty's side (and thereby make himself popular) by letting it be known that he had struggled hard but that the board would not budge. He can only hope that he has acquired a reputation for integrity that will carry him through such a situation. A 1940 amendment of the act gave the president the additional title of vice-chancellor and the duty of acting in the chancellor's place in his absence. It appears that the main purpose of this amendment was to emphasize that in North American universities, the president corresponds functionally to the vice-chancellor of British universities. Some people of English descent regard that emphasis as important. The title is, however, rarely used in Saskatchewan. c Visitor

Another official of the university who was provided for in the act was called the "Visitor." He was actually to be the lieutenant-governor of the province. His duties and authority were defined very briefly and vaguely: he was authorized to "perform all acts pertaining to Visitors which to him seemed meet." The vagueness was no doubt intentional. The authors of the act appear to have had two reasons for establishing the position: the public image of the university would be improved if a man who possessed the standing and prestige of the lieutenant-governor were connected with it and visited it on ceremonial occasions; if the university should be in serious trouble, it would be desirable that a man with his prestige should have the authority to intervene. Actually that

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

authority has been exercised only once in the history of the university (see Chapter 8).

FINANCES

An important provision of the act was an attempt to ensure that the university would have a secure source of revenue apart from the annual grant to be voted by the legislature. It was part of the effort to remove the institution as far as possible from politics and the influence of the government. This was done by directing that the government was to pay the university 33¼ per cent of the net receipts from succession duties, 25 per cent of receipts from the corporation tax, and 5 per cent of the money at the credit of the supplementary revenue fund. It was not intended, of course, to make the university independent of the government in financial matters for an indefinite period, or to enable it to defy the will of the government permanently, but through having those other sources of revenue, the university might escape the caprices of a single legislative session or the displeasure of the government over particular actions or statements of a professor or administrative officer. It was not long until those special sources of revenue proved entirely inadequate, and then the major share of the revenue had to be provided by the annual grant. The financial provisions of the act were then amended so that all funds going to the university from the government were to be included in the annual grant. The university submitted an annual itemized budget to the government, but the grant came before the legislature in the form of a lump sum. Once the grant was voted the university was free to spend the money in any way its authorities wished. If less than the budgeted amount was spent for one purpose, the balance could be used for other purposes. Of course if the actual expenditures departed too far from the itemized budget, the matter would be taken up at the discussion of the next budget between government and university authorities.

3 Between the Act and the Opening: Planning and Preparation

THE ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE which established the university was passed in April 1907,1 the doors to receive students opening in September 1909. Between those two dates much planning and preparation had to be done. It was necessary to constitute the governing bodies, to appoint a president, to select a site, to erect buildings, to assemble a faculty, to determine the scope of the enterprises which would be undertaken, to lay down the policies and principles which would govern the operation of the institution, and to establish administrative procedures. Each of those tasks is the subject of a section of this chapter. Two and one-half years was a short time to carry through those and other tasks. They had to be done carefully because almost every one of them involved decisions which would influence the future development of the university. CONSTITUTING THE GOVERNING BODIES: THEIR FIRST ACTIONS The first task was obviously the selection and organization of the governing bodies which would have to carry through most of the remaining preparatory tasks. Since, according to the act, convocation was to elect the majority of the members of the senate and the senate was to elect the majority of the members of the board of governors, the first body to be constituted had to be convocation. The act provided that it was at 1

Unless otherwise noted, the material of this chapter is taken mostly from W. C. Murray, "The University of Saskatchewan," Transactions of the Society of Canada, 35 (1941), 95-117; from his early annual reports, or from the author's recollections.

28 TIIE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

first to be composed of all the graduates of all the universities of His Majesty's Dominions who were living in the province at the time. Therefore D. P. McColl, superintendent of education, who had been appointed acting registrar of the university by the government pending a permanent appointment by the senate, invited all those graduates to submit their names and credentials. 2 From the responses he made up the roll of convocation, which consisted of 414 names. He then announced that the first meeting of convocation would be held on 16 October 1907. The first business of that meeting was the unanimous election of Chief Justice E. L. Wetmore as chancellor. He was a graduate of the University of New Brunswick and had been a member of the legislature and leader of the Conservative party in that province before being appointed a judge for the North West Territories. When Saskatchewan was created he was transferred to that province as chief justice. He acted as chancellor for ten years, and was succeeded by F. W. G. Haultain. The members of convocation then proceeded to elect 12 members of the Senate as they were authorized to do by the University Act. 3 By the votes of 265 members they selected a bishop (Rev. John Grisdale), another clergyman (Rev. C. A. Henry), a judge (A.H. Prendergast), a doctor (Dr. David Low), three lawyers (F. W. G. Haultain, G. E. McCraney, D. J. Thom), and five teachers (A. H. Ball, A. H. Fenwick, E. B. Hutcherson, J. W. Sifton, and A. Smith). In accordance with the act, the ex officio members were the minister of education (J. A. Calder), the principal of the normal school (T. E. Perrett), the chairman of the educational council, the chancellor, and the president (still to be appointed). All members were highly respected citizens living in widely scattered communities. The first meeting of the senate was held a month later, on 13 November, 1907.4 Its most important business was to be the election of five members of the board of governors. The senators regarded this duty as so important that they set up a committee to consider the matter and bring in recommendations at the next meeting. Other business transacted was the confirmation of D. P. McColl as registrar and the election of an executive committee of four, which was called the "uni2 Morton and King, Saskatchewan: The Making of a University (Toronto 1959),

gives further details about individual members of the senate and board. · :; McColl served as registrar only until 191:;, when he was succeeded by A. R. Weir, a graduate of that year, who served until his retirement in 1951. Weir set up the permanent methods of academic record keeping and the conduct of examinations, and acted as secretary of the senate, council, and all faculty and standing committees. 4 Minutes of the senate for November 1907 and January 1908.

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29

versity council." After hearing the report of the nominating committee at the second meeting, on 7 January 1908, the senators elected five governors: a private banker (Arthur Hitchcock), the manager of the branch of the Bank of Montreal in Regina (H.F. Angus), a large-scale rancher (John Dixon), and two successful merchants (James Clinkskill and Andrew MacDonald). Later the government appointed as its representatives a lawyer (James MacKay), a large-scale farmer and lawyer (Levi Thomson), and a miller (A. P. McNab). Evidently both senate and government had chiefly in mind the duties of the governors in relation to the business of the institution because all those selected were successful businessmen or lawyers without special educational interests. Two had been members of parliament, one was later to be a member of the government, and two had been candidates at elections. Four were Liberals and four Conservatives. Their residences were widely distributed, four in the south and four in the north. Their religious affiliations were also widely distributed, there being three Anglicans, two Presbyterians, and one Catholic, one Methodist, and one Baptist. With only one change these men served for the next 20 years. Convocation had been called to meet on the same day as the senate (7 January 1908) for the formal inauguration of the university. The ceremony was held at a largely attended meeting in the Metropolitan Church in Regina. Three prominent educational leaders from other universities delivered addresses: Principal Peterson of McGill, Principal Maurice Hutton of University College of the University of Toronto, and Professor Salem Bland of Wesley College, Winnipeg.

APPOINTMENT OF THE PRESIDENT

After the governing bodies were set up and functioning, the next and most important task was the selection of a president.5 Since he was to be the chief executive officer on whom most of the responsibility for the success of the institution would rest, it was essential that he be present when the other important decisions were being made. The board of governors addressed itself to this task at its first meeting, which was held on 22 May 1908. It had before it the replies to a letter which had previously been sent by the registrar to the heads of many universities in Canada, Britain, and the United States, asking them to suggest suitable persons for the post. From the many names suggested 5 Murray, "The University of Saskatchewan," and Morton and King, Saskatchewan.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

the governors selected six for further consideration. At the head of the list was Adam Shortt, professor of political economy at Queen's University. 6 In second place was Walter C. Murray, professor of philosophy at Dalhousie University. The other four were A. T. DeLury, a highly respected professor of mathematics at the University of Toronto, C. G. Locke, a distinguished academic who had become chief librarian of the city of Toronto; J. A. Maclean of the University of Idaho, who subsequently became president of the University of Manitoba; and Professor F. H. Sykes of Columbia University. The governors instructed D. P. McColl, who had been made their secretary as well as registrar of the university, to write to each of the six, tell them what they needed to know about the new university, and ask them if they would permit their names to be considered for the post. At the second meeting of the board, which was held on 23 June 1908, the replies were considered. Shortt and Sykes had declined to be candidates. On the basis of Murray's reply as well as of the original recommendations, he was unanimously put in first place. The governors then named a committee of three to travel east and interview Murray and the other three who remained on the list. After the interviews Murray was also the committee's first choice, and was invited to meet the full board in Regina on 20 August 1908. After that meeting his appointment was formally announced. Murray was born in New Brunswick in 1866, the son of a country doctor. 7 After a brilliant course at the University of New Brunswick he graduated in 1886 with numerous honours, including a scholarship for overseas study. With that he proceeded to the University of Edinburgh, where he studied philosophy and education and was awarded the M.A. degree with highest honours in 1891. He returned at once to New Brunswick as professor of philosophy, and the following year moved to Dalhousie University as professor of philosophy. At Dalhousie he was soon recognized as an outstanding member of the faculty, a brilliant teacher, popular with the students, most of whom he contrived to know well, and active in administration as secretary of the senate. He was elected a member of the Halifax School Board and of the city council. One of his closest friends at Dalhousie and throughout the rest of his life was the principal of the affiliated Presbyterian 6 Soon afterwards, Shortt was appointed chairman of the federal Civil Service Commission and served in that capacity for many years. His interest in the University of Saskatchewan led to its acquiring his fine library of Canadiana (The Shortt Library). 7 The facts of Murray's life are from Morton and I