Photograph of a charcoal head and shoulders sketch of Alexander Campbell, director of Pharmacy from 1914-1923, and first dean from 1923-1928.

Bio/Historical Note: Alexander Campbell's association with the University of Saskatchewan began in 1913 as professor of Pharmacy. The Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association had been the first in Canada to request the education of its members be under the direction of a university and twenty-one students enrolled when the School of Pharmacy was first established in January 1914. By 1921 the School had become a College and in 1922 Campbell became the first dean of Pharmacy. Enrolment had increased substantially every year; and Campbell, there since the school’s inception, had taught a majority of the classes even as faculty numbers increased. The College of Pharmacy as it existed in 1927 was largely Campbell’s creation. Remarkably, he had joined the University at age 62 – but “no one,” Walter C. Murray wrote, had “ever associated age with the active veteran of the rebellion of 1885.” Indeed, Campbell had been part of the 7th Fusiliers from London, Ontario, called into active service on 1 April 1885. By the time they had made the trip west the Northwest Resistance was over: the 7th Fusiliers left for their return journey to Ontario in mid-July without ever having seen combat. Campbell had done pencil sketches at the time and later turned these into watercolours, with a narrative of his service: An Account of the Advances of the 7th Fusiliers of London to aid in the suppression of the North West Rebellion of 1885. Following his retirement in 1928 Campbell moved to Victoria, where he died in [1943 at the age of 91]. The Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association established the Campbell Prize in his honour.

Image of Dr. Ansten Anstenson, head, Department of Germanic Languages.

Bio/Historical Note: Ansten Anstensen was born near Skien, Norway, the home of Norway's famous playwright, Henrik Ibsen. He served as Acting Lieutenant-Commander, RCNVR/Naval Control Boarding Service, in recognition of his development of strategies for expediting maritime shipping as part of the war effort. He also worked with the Norwegian Resistance in England, interviewing sailors and survivors, and conferring with King George VI. He was later named a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Edna Anstensen (d. 1971), Ansten’s wife, compiled, with Fife, A Summary of Reports on the Modern Foreign Language, published in 1931. Edna Anstensen was Secretary to the Commander of Norwegian Forces in Halifax, Nova Scotia during World War II. Dr. Anstensen's doctoral dissertation at Columbia University was published as The Proverb of Ibsen. As a young teacher at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, he was one of the original translators of Rolvaag's Giants in the Earth. The effort involved translating proverbs and folk expressions into English, where there often were not obvious equivalents. Dr. Anstensen founded the German Department at the University of Saskatchewan. With this background of both husband and wife, Dr. Anstensen served with the British High Commission for Germany, reviewing revisions in Germany University education in the immediate post war, post Nazi period. Dr. Anstensen was briefly a member of the Canadian delegation to the United Nations 15th Session, beginning in September 1960 until the fall of the government in Ottawa. Dr. Anstensen, in the name of his only child, Linda Anstensen (1935-2007), founded a bursary at the University of Saskatchewan to provide funds for a needy student of the German language. Dr. Anstensen died in Saskatoon in 1981.

Head and shoulders of William G. Sullivan, Professor and Head of Classics, 1919-1946.

Bio/Historical Note: William Godfrey Sullivan was born in 1879 in County Cork, Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, with two gold medals for academic excellence. After teaching in Ireland for five years, Sullivan joined the University of Saskatchewan as professor and head of the Department of Classics from 1911 to 1946. Sullivan also served more than once as chairman of the faculty and as acting dean of Arts and Science. He retired in 1946. Sullivan died in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1951.

Head and shoulders image of Roy A. Spencer, College of Engineering, 1921-1954.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Roy Aubrey Spencer was born in 1889 in Port Morien, Nova Scotia. He came to the University of Saskatchewan from Dalhousie University in 1921 and served as assistant professor of Civil Engineering. Dr. Spencer married Marguerita MacQuarrie in 1922 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He was appointed dean of Engineering in 1944 and retired in 1953. He also served in the University Senate from 1942-1954. Roy Spencer died in 1967 in Saskatoon. Spencer Crescent, Lane, Place and Way in the Silverwood neighborhood are named for the Spencers.

Bio/Historical Note: Born into the large musical McQuarrie family of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1892, Marguerita (Rita) Spencer studied piano, organ and cello at Halifax Ladies’ College and at McGill University. From 1918-1921 she trained as a nurse at Toronto General Hospital. In 1922 Rita married Dr. Roy Spencer; they moved to Saskatoon, where he taught engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. During World War I she accompanied silent movies; she also played troop concerts then and during World War II. She continued her studies in Saskatoon under Helen Davies Sherry, Lyell Gustin, and others. She performed on a weekly CBC program and with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and headed the Saskatoon Women’s Musical Club and the Musical Arts Club. Of Rita's nearly forty compositions, she is best known for Prairie Suite No. 1 and 24 Preludes; but many of them appeared on music festival programs and conservatory exams throughout Canada. Partly blind in old age, Rita used a tape recorder and transcriber. She received the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and recognition in international music sources. Rita Spencer died in 1993 in Saskatoon at age 100.

Eight students putting together a stage set.

Head and shoulders image of Frank H. Underhill, Department of History, 1914-1927.

Bio/Historical Note: Frank Hawkins Underhill was born in 1889 in Stouffville, Ontario, He was educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford where he was a member of the Fabian Society. He was influenced by social and political critics such as Bernard Shaw and Goldwin Smith. Underhilln taught history at the University of Saskatchewan from 1914 until 1927 with a long interruption during World War I during which he served as an officer in the Hertfordshire Regiment of the British Army on the Western Front. He also taught from 1927 until 1955 at the U of T. He left there due to a dispute with the administration and later joined the faculty at Carleton University. During the Great Depression, Underhill joined several other left wing academics in forming the League for Social Reconstruction. He was also a founder of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and helped write its Regina Manifesto in 1933. Underhill joined the editorial staff of the leftist Canadian Forum in 1927 where he wrote a column of political commentary called "O Canada" from 1929 on and served for a time as chair of that journal's editorial board. Despite these progressive leanings, Underhill had a conservative view of the historical profession and impeded the careers of several women historians. During World War II, Underhill moved away from socialism and became a left-wing liberal continentalist. He remained a committed anti-imperialist and was almost dismissed from the U of T in 1941 for suggesting that Canada would drift away from the British Empire and draw closer to the United States. Underhill’s struggle with the university became a landmark in the history of academic freedom in Canada. Underhill's most important writings are collected in the 1960 book of essays, In Search of Canadian Liberalism. In the essays Underhill covered many Canadian concerns such as politics before and after the Canadian Confederation, relations with the United States and Britain and assessments of the actions of Canadian public figures. Underhill's other notable works include Canadian Political Parties, 1957; The Image of Confederation, 1964; and Upper Canadian Politics in the 1850s, 1967. Underhill was a strong supporter of the United States during the Cold War. He also became a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada, particularly once his long-time friend, Lester Pearson joined the government. In his later years, Underhill served as a lecturer and Chair of the Department of History at Carleton University in Ottawa. He received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree in 1962 from the U of S. In 1967 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Underhill died in 1971.

Head and shoulders image of A.L.C. Atkinson, professor of Engineering, 1929-1950.

Bio/Historical Note: Alfred Lyford Courtenay Atkinson was born in Stockton-On-Tees, County Durham, England, in 1896. He was a graduate of Engineering [from the University of Saskatchewan and was an instructor in Civil Engineering there from 1929-1950. He was a Lieutenant Commander, Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, from 1941-1944. The City of Saskatoon Coat of Arms bearing the legend "Commerce, Industry, Education", was designed by Atkinson and was officially adopted 14 Jan.1949. Atkinson served as professor at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria from 1950-1963. In 1968 Atkinson designed the College of Dentistry coat of arms at the age of 72. Atkinson died 30 September 1977 in Sidney, British Columbia.

Head and shoulders image of Dr. Allister H. Ewan, Head of Animal Husbandry, 1930-1953.

Bio/Historical Note: The controversial and obligatory resignations of Allister H. Ewan, head of Animal Science, and R.F.J. (Fred) Hopkinson, farm manager, occurred in 1953 following an investigation of farm and department operations and complaints by students concerning teaching.

Bio/Historical Note: The name of the Department of Animal Husbandry changed to the Department of Animal Science in May 1962.

Formal studio head and shoulders image of Aldis Peterson, star athlete in basketball and tennis.

Bio/Historical Note: Aldis Marjorie (Pete) Peterson graduated from Nutana Collegiate and enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in 1941. Peterson competed in both basketball and tennis. An outstanding forward, she served as team captain for two years. As a member of the tennis team, she was runner-up in singles at the 1944 Western Championships. For her participation in sports, Peterson was awarded a Major Athletic Award in 1943-1944. She served as secretary to the Women's Athletic Directorate and became the first president of the women's Athletic Board. She was a cheerleader for two years and served as vice-president of the SRC in 1944-1945. In 1944-1945 Peterson was awarded the prestigious "Spirit of Youth" Trophy for having exhibited outstanding athletic skills combined with high qualities in leadership. Peterson married Fred (Bud) Carson (1923-2013), also an inductee into the University of Saskatchewan Athletic Wall of Fame. She died in Toronto on 16 April 1998.

Dr. Wilf Rae, Professor, Poultry Science, with plucked turkeys.

Head and shoulders image of Dr. Hilda Neatby, Department of History, 1936-1971.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Hilda Marion Neatby was born in Sutton, Surrey, England, on 19 February 1904. Her family moved to Saskatchewan in 1906 and she received most of her primary and secondary education in rural schools in the Earl Grey district. With her family's move to Saskatoon in 1918, she completed her high school education at Nutana Collegiate Institute. Dr. Neatby earned a BA with high honours in History and French in 1924, and added an MA in 1928, both from the University of Saskatchewan. After studying for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris on a provincial government scholarship, she returned to Saskatoon to attend Normal School and complete an MA degree at the same time. Dr. Neatby continued her studies at the University of Minnesota, graduating with a PhD in 1934. Dr. Neatby began her academic career with the University of Saskatchewan in 1934 as a substitute French teacher at the Regina campus. After joining the History Department at the U of S in Saskatoon in 1946, Dr. Neatby was invited to be a member of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences. She had a decisive influence on the committee and its final report. Dr. Neatby’s work on the commission led to a job as Vincent Massey's speechwriter during his tenure as Governor General (1952-1957). Dr. Neatby retired from the U of S in 1969 after serving as head of the History Department since 1958, the first woman to head a university History department in Canada. Dr. Neatby was also the first woman president of the Canadian Historical Association (1962-1963), Canada's premier historical society. She was the first editor of "Saskatchewan History" magazine. Dr. Neatby was one of the first Companions of the Order of Canada (1967). She was also recognized as Woman of The Century and presented with a centennial bronze medal from the National Council of Jewish Women for outstanding service to Canada. Dr. Neatby received an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from the U of S in 1971. Dr. Neatby died in Saskatoon on 14 May 1975. She is remembered as one of the country's top historians and the author of "So Little For the Mind" (1953), a book that delivered a stinging indictment of the public school system in Canada. In 2000 Canada Post issued a stamp in her honour. In 2005 the former Place Riel Theatre at the U of S was renamed the Neatby-Timlin Theatre, in honour of her and former U of S economics professor Mabel Timlin. Neatby Crescent and Place in Parkridge in Saskatoon also honour Dr. Neatby.

This fonds contains one booklet entitled ‘Verses for You’. The booklet was published by the Moose Jaw Writer’s Club. Shantz wrote poems that appear on pages 7, 22, and 27.