The first member of the Faculty of the Department of Anaesthesia was appointed in 1954. From this nucleus the department grew to train students at the undergraduate and postdoctoral levels. It was in the residency program the Department concentrated its efforts, in order to meet the ever present shortage of Anaesthetists in the province. The Department has also maintained an active clinical research program resulting in the introduction of several innovative drugs and techniques. The following have served as head of the department: G.M. Wyant (1954-1975); C.E. Hope (1975-1978); W.B. MacDonald; C.J. Kilduf (1984-1985); S. Neil (acting 1985-1987); P.G. Duncan (1987-1994); R. Yip (1994- ).

The Department of Biology was established in 1913. The first professor was W.P. Thompson who would eventually become Dean of Arts and Science and President of the University. Unlike many other Canadian universities the Department of Biology at Saskatchewan remained as a single unit and strove to maintain within itself a balance among the diverse sub-disciplines rather than separating into several distinct departments. Recent research has involved environmental studies including studies of the potential effect of acid rain, mining, logging, and agriculture. The department cooperates with the College of Agriculture to provide a program of Agricultural Biology and offers Paleobiology in conjunction with the Departments of Geological Sciences and Anthropology and Archaeology. The following have served as head of the department: W.P. Thompson (1913-1949); D.S. Rawson (1949-1961); M. Shaw (1961-1968); J.M. Naylor (1968-1973); U.T. Hammer (1973-1976); T.A. Steeves (1976-1982); J. King (1982-1987); R.J.F. Smith (1987-1994); L.C. Fowke (1994- ).

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine first appeared in the College of Medicine Calendar in 1958. It was to concern itself with the epidemiology of the major disease groups, with the social factors in health and disease, and with the organization of community health services. In collaboration with the medical sciences departments it prevented a statistical viewpoint and with the clinical departments it studied the problems of medical care. The main research activities in recent years have been connected with the Saskatoon Community Health Unit, Home Care, and the Northern Medical Services. In 1988 the Department changed its name to the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. The following have served as department head: A. Robertson (1958-1962); R.F. Badgley (acting 1962-1963); D.J. Hosking (acting 1963-1964); V.L. Mathews (1965-1987); B.F. Habbick (1987- ).

The use of digital computers at the University of Saskatchewan began with the installation of a Librascope General Precision LGP-30 computer in the Mathematics department, in 1958. This machine was designed to fit into a Steelcase TM office desk, and had 4,096 words of 32-bit drum memory. Contrasted with today's microcomputer chips that have millions of transistors, this machine had 18 flip-flop circuits based on vacuum tube technology. It was jointly owned with PRL, and was not used except by the specialists in those two organizations. In the period 1963-65, an IBM 1620 was installed in the Engineering building. Some programming courses were given in Engineering, Commerce and Mathematics, but there was no full time support organization for computing until 1965, when an IBM 7040 "mainframe" was purchased with funding assistance from the National Research Council. It too was installed in the Engineering building and the Computational Centre was created in 1965. By 1967 a new IBM 360 Model 50 was installed in the Arts building, and the computer support staff consisted of 22 operators, programmers and analysts. In 1973 the University installed its first time-sharing system. It served up to 32 simultaneous users, and was programmed in BASIC. [Kavanagh, p. 1]. In 1974 the department was renamed the Department of Academic and Computing Services. The Department delivers a variety of technical, educational and sales services to the administrative and academic departments on campus. Head, Computational Centre: G.W. Peardon (1965-1969); N.E. Glassen [Acting] (1969-1970); N.E. Glassen (1970-1973); R. Vander Ham (1973-1974). Head, Computing Services: B.A. Malero (1964-1978); R.N. Kavanaugh (1978-1999); R. Bunt (2000- ).

The Department of Drama was established in with the help of a Rockefeller Foundation grant in 1945, and became the first recognized Drama Department in the British Commonwealth. Courses were designed to develop knowledge and skills of all phases of theatre: acting, stagecraft, design, directing, theatre history, and play interpretation. Greystone theatre was formed in 1950 as a vehicle for applying the theoretical aspects of theatre to stage productions. The following have served as head of the Department of Drama: E. Jones (1945-1971); D.F. Nalbach (1971-1975); T. Kerr (1976-1986); R. Mavor (1986-1990); and F. Edell (1990- ).

Social sciences courses in the College of Arts and Sciences emerged in varying combinations. Initially, Political Science was taught through the Department of Philosophy; Economics became a department in 1914. Political Science was established as a separate faculty in 1921 and functioned independently until 1946, when it was merged with Economics. An introductory class in Sociology was added to the Department of Economics and Political Science in 1946. Sociology developed into an independent department in 1958. Economics and Political Studies became separate departments in 1985. The following have served as head of the Department of Economics: L.C. Gray (1913-1915), W.W. Swanson (1916-1945); C. Gerrard (1985-1989); R.F. Lucas (1989- ). The following have served as head of the Department of Political Science (now Political Studies) : F.H. Underhill (1921-1927); R.M. Dawson (1927-1937); G.E. Britnell (1937-1945); D.J. Heasman (1985-1991); H.J. Michelmann (1991- ). The following served as head of the combined Department of Economics and Political Studies: G.E. Britnell (1945-1961); A.E. Safarian (1961-1966); R.W. Kautz (1966-1969); L.F. Kristjanson (1969-1975); R.G. Beck (1975-1978); J.C.Stabler (1978-1979); K. Lal (1979-1984); J. Steeves (1985).

The Department of Educational Foundations was created as a result of the College of Education reorganization of 1974. Courses are designed to enable undergraduate and graduate students to look at education from a general or more specialized perspective. The department is best known for its work in the philosophy and sociology of education. The following have served as head of the department: G.J. Langley (1974-1980); D.B. Cochrane (1981-1986); W. Stephan (1986-1991); D.B. Cochrane (1991-1994); R. Wickett (1994- ).

The Department of Far Eastern Studies was created in 1964 to provide programs about the cultural history, philosophy, religions, languages and literature of the Indo-Tibetan-China areas. The department first offered graduate classes in 1967. In 1981 it was announced that Far Eastern Studies would be phased out over the next three years. Some Far Eastern Studies courses continued to be offered through other departments.

The University's first professor of French was hired during its second year of operation in 1910. For the next five decades the department remained relatively small and concentrated on first and second year classes which filled the second language requirement for a B.A. degree. The department opened on of the first language labs in Canada in 1959. With the introduction of Spanish Studies in 1964, the name was changed to the Department of French and Spanish. In 1968 the second language requirement was dropped from the B.A. degree and class enrolment was halved. The department overhauled its policies and programs by shifting emphasis to oral work at all levels. In 1989, Spanish came under the administration of the newly created Department of Modern Languages and French became an independent department. In 1998 the Department of Modern Languages was amalgamated with the Department of French and the College of Arts and Science's program in linguistics to form the Department of Languages and Linguistics.

?The following served as the head of the Department of French (1910-1964): J.A. MacDonald (1910-1939); M. Cameron (1939-1960); B. Bujila (1960-1964). The following served as head of Department of French and Spanish (1964-1989): B. Bujila (1964- 1965); R.S. Ridgway (1965-1976); M. Black (1976-1983); D.J. Bond (1983-1985); C.T. Wittlin (1985-1989). The following served as the head of the Department of French (1989-1998): C.T. Wittlin (1989-1991); J. Julien (1991-1998).

The Department of Geology was established in 1927, three years before the province gained responsibility over its mineral resources. In 1935, through the College of Engineering, an undergraduate program in geological engineering was begun. This was supplementary to the course in Arts and soon became the more popular of the two. The department moved closer to Engineering with the responsibility for its budget moving to the Dean of Engineering. The post-1950 era marked a period of expansion and diversification with a concentration on programs designed to support the mining and petroleum industries. In 1967 the department once again came under the administration of the College of Arts and Science. The following have served as head of the department: J.B. Mawdsley (1927-1960); F.H. Edmunds (1960-1965); A.R. Byers (1965-1972); W.G.E. Caldwell (1972-1988); H.E. Hendry (1988- ).

German was offered in the University's first year of operation in 1909 with the Department of Germanic Languages being created in 1930. The Department was amalgamated with three other College of Arts and Science language units (Russian, Ukranian, and Spanish) into the new Department of Modern Languages in 1989. At the time the Departments of German and Slavic Studies were small, independent units in the College, and Spanish was part of the Department of French and Spanish.

The Department of History was one of the original four departments of the University. E.H. Oliver gave the first lecture on the first day of classes, set the first examination, and did the first research--collecting and editing documents concerning the history of Western Canada. The first MA awarded by the University was in History (1912). The History Department also played an important role in the founding of the Departments of Economics. Political Science, and Anthropology and Archaeology. Classes were original offered in Ancient, Medieval, Modern European and British History. As time progressed classes were added in Canadian, American, Slavic, and World History. The following have served as head of the department: E.H. Oliver (1909-1914); F.H. Underhill (1914-1915); A.S. Morton (1915-1940); G. Simspson (1940-1958); H. Neatby (1958-1969); I.N. Lambi (1969-1974); P.G. Bietenholz (1974-1978); T.D. Regher (1978-1982); H.C. Johnson (1982-1984); J.M. Hayden (1984-1988); C.A. Kent (1988-1990); D. Miquelon (1990-1995); W.A. (Bill) Waiser (1995-1998); Larry Stewart (1998-2003); Dave DeBrou (2003-March 2004); Martha Smith-Norris (Acting head) April-June 2004; Brett Fairbairn (2004-2006); Chris Kent (2006-2007); Brett Fairbairn (2007-2008); Valerie Korinek (2008- ).

The Department of Classics was one of the original four departments of the University. With Latin and classical studies playing a central role in the secondary school system, students entered their university studies well grounded in ancient language skills. Programs were directed toward advanced language studies, literary studies of the classical authors in the original languages, and ancient history. As Latin and Greek disappeared from the secondary school system, the department had to adapt to students entering the program without prior language training. The abolition of the Arts second language requirement in 1967 forced the department to adjust its programs further. The 1970s saw the introduction of translation classes and the Classics in English program. In 1976 the responsibility for teaching ancient history was given to the history department and the Department of Classics was renamed the Department of Greek and Roman Studies. The department changed its name back to Classics in 1986. The following have served as head of the department: A Moxon (1909-1911); W.G. Sullivan (1911-1945); J.F. Leddy (1945-1965); R.M. Ferguson (1965-1967); C.D. Pritchet (1967-1976); P.M. Swan (1976-1982); N. McClosky (1982-1993); P. Burnell (1993- ).

The Department of Mathematics was one of the original four departments of the University. From the beginning the department was charged with the responsibility of teaching classes in mathematics to students in all colleges of the University. This is still true, with the exception of a few specialized classes in areas such as statistics and applications of differential equations taught by other departments. The department teaches classes in pure and applied mathematics and statistics. The following have served as head of the department: G.H. Ling (1909-1938); R.D. James (1940-1943); W.H. Watson (1944-1946); H.H. Ferns (1946-1962); A.P. Guinand (1962-1964); C.E. Miller (1964-1970); G.H.M. Thomas (1970-1978); B.S. Lalli (1978-1979); R. Servranckx (1980-1982); M.A. Marshall (1982-1983); R. Manohar (1983-1988); R.V. Moody (1988-1990); T.R. Martin (1990- ).

Mining Engineering was initially offered in 1962 as an option in fourth year Geological Engineering. A completely separate two-year course was offered the following year and operated as a sub-department in the Department of Geological Sciences. In addition to classroom study in mineral processing, rock mechanics, mine environmental controls, mine design and mine materials handling, the course included a series of field trips to various Saskatchewan mines and required at least one summer of practical experience. In 1971 the College of Engineering agreed to create the Department of Mining Engineering. It was closed in 1976. R.F. Palmer (1972-1974) served as head of the Department.