Participants of the Homemakers' convention gather in the Bowl in front of the College (Administration) Building.

Head and shoulders image of Abigail DeLury, first director of Women's Work, and first director of Homemakers' Clubs.

Bio/Historical Note: Abigail DeLury was born in 1868 in Manilla, Ontario. She trained as a teacher at Port Perry and Toronto Normal School and then taught for 14 years. DeLury obtained her diploma in Home Economics from the Ontario Agricultural College and taught at Macdonald College, McGill University, before moving to Moose Jaw in 1910 to teach home economics in the public schools. The University of Saskatchewan’s first Extension director, F. Hedley Auld, heard of her background and hired her for the summers of 1911 and 1912 to visit local fairs and to encourage women to form Homemakers' clubs. These clubs were seen as useful tools for supporting family life, community building, promoting the interests of rural young people, emphasizing the cultural side of life and educating in citizenship. Such was DeLury’s success at this task that in 1913 she was appointed director of Women's Work at the University, reporting directly to President Walter C. Murray. DeLury was the first woman with a permanent appointment at the university. She provided direction to the Homemakers' Clubs and advanced home economics extension services to women and families in the province. In 1914, the year after her appointment, there were 90 Homemakers' clubs in Saskatchewan. When DeLury retireed in 1930, there were 240 with 5,800 members. Instruction in household science began on campus in 1917 with the appointment of Ethel B. Rutter as instructor. The Department became a School within the College of Arts and Science in 1928 and the School became a College in 1942. In 1941 the degree program expanded from 3 to 4 years following senior matriculation. The name was changed from the College of Household Science to the College of Home Economics in 1952 (the college was phased out in 1990). DeLury traveled the province advocating activities that enhanced farm home and community life at a time when immigrants were swarming in to take up homesteads. She encouraged Homemakers to promote tree planting, boys' and girls' club work (now called 4-H), poultry raising, beekeeping, fruit growing, better education, better health services and a better, more co-operative community spirit. DeLury retired in 1930 and returned to Manilla; she died there in 1957. Abigail DeLury was inducted posthumously into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005.

Display of works shown at the Regina fair; M. Robertson from Norbury district, east of Spiritwood, stands beneath sign in front of exhibit.

Bio/Historical Note: As early as 1913 Agriculture societies were sponsoring the "Farm Boys' Club and the Farm Girls' Club,” organizations for youth. The Saskatchewan Agriculture Extension Department promoted the idea of separate classes for youth to exhibit and judge their produce or livestock at local fairs. The Farm Boys’ Clubs and Farm Girls’ Clubs were combined and the name changed to "4-H Clubs" in 1952 and the motto became "Learn To Do By Doing.”

Young women seated at tables sewing and performing other crafts.

Unidentified young women seated and standing on a lawn with a large brick building in the background. Summer scene.

Unidentified young women seated and standing on a lawn with a University of Saskatchewan campus building in the background.

Unidentified girls, women and one man seated and standing before a monument; trees in the background. Annotated.

Unidentified young women seated and standing before a monument; trees in the background. Annotated.

Members of the club participating in the Travellers Day Parade are marching at an unidentified street corner. Buildings, crowds and parked vehicles in background.

Leader Fred Fasnacht and three members with tags on their lapels standing.

Group photo of members sitting and standing out of doors in front of a building.

Members of the club standing in a row out of doors, railing in the background.

Display of grains tied in bundles with signs on lower portion of the stand, in a room with signs and pictures on the walls. Fasnacht, F., leader of the club and R. Simmonds, standing at each side of the display.

P. Kuchar and his sister Joyce Kuchar standing out of doors with a sign on a stake between them. Trees in the background.

Leaders and a few members standing together on a street. Signs in evidence along the store fronts.