J.W.T. Spinks (third from left), fourth University President, waits to be awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree during the fall Convocation held at Centennial Auditorium. From l to r: Gwenna Moss, Acting Vice-President (Academic); Mary Spinks, and Dr. Spinks.

Bio/Historical Note: John William Tranter Spinks was born in 1908 at Methwold, England. He received his PhD in Science from the University of London in 1930 and that same year joined the University of Saskatchewan as assistant professor of Chemistry. While on leave in Germany in 1933 he worked with Gerhard Herzberg, future Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, and was instrumental in bringing him to Canada. In 1938 Dr. Spinks became a full professor of Chemistry. During WWII Dr. Spinks developed search-and-rescue operations for the RCAF and took part in the early work on atomic energy. His scientific research led to major international achievements in radiation chemistry and his work included over 200 scientific papers. Dr. Spinks was appointed head of the department of Chemistry in 1948; Dean of the College of Graduate Studies in 1949 and was installed as President of the University, which he led through a very active period of development from 1959-1975. Dr. Spinks received many honours: Companion of the Order of Canada (1970); the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame (1982), Saskatoon's Citizen of the Year (1985), and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (1996). He married Mary Strelioff (1910-1999) on 5 June 1939 in Rugby Chapel on the U of S grounds. Dr. Spinks died in 1997 in Saskatoon at age 89. The north-facing four-storey Spinks Addition is home to the departments of Computer Science and Chemistry. It was completed in 2003. Spinks Drive in College Park honours Dr. Spinks. The University of Saskatchewan open source computer labs were named the Spinks Labs.

View of dignitaries seated on dais during the Fall Convocation held at Centennial Auditorium, including Dr. Sylvia Fedoruk (third from left), former University Chancellor, and Ted Turner (centre), University Chancellor.

Dr. George Ivany, seventh University President, presents J.W.T. Spinks, fourth University President, with an honourary Doctor of Laws degree during fall Convocation held at Centennial Auditorium. Mary Spinks stands behind Dr. Spinks. Iain MacLean, University Secretary, prepares to hood Dr. Spinks.

Bio/Historical Note: John William Tranter Spinks was born in 1908 at Methwold, England. He received his PhD in Science from the University of London in 1930 and that same year joined the University of Saskatchewan as assistant professor of Chemistry. While on leave in Germany in 1933 he worked with Gerhard Herzberg, future Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, and was instrumental in bringing him to Canada. In 1938 Dr. Spinks became a full professor of Chemistry. During WWII Dr. Spinks developed search-and-rescue operations for the RCAF and took part in the early work on atomic energy. His scientific research led to major international achievements in radiation chemistry and his work included over 200 scientific papers. Dr. Spinks was appointed head of the department of Chemistry in 1948; Dean of the College of Graduate Studies in 1949 and was installed as President of the University, which he led through a very active period of development from 1959-1975. Dr. Spinks received many honours: Companion of the Order of Canada (1970); the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame (1982), Saskatoon's Citizen of the Year (1985), and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (1996). He married Mary Strelioff (1910-1999) on 5 June 1939 in Rugby Chapel on the U of S grounds. Dr. Spinks died in 1997 in Saskatoon at age 89. The north-facing four-storey Spinks Addition is home to the departments of Computer Science and Chemistry. It was completed in 2003. Spinks Drive in College Park honours Dr. Spinks. The University of Saskatchewan open source computer labs were named the Spinks Labs.

J.W.T. Spinks, former University President, waits to receive an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree during the Fall Convocation held at Centennial Auditorium. Iain MacLean, University Secretary, prepares to hood Dr. Spinks.

Head and shoulders image of Emmett M. Hall, eighth Chancellor.

Bio/Historical Note: Emmett Matthew Hall was born 29 November 1898 in Saint-Colomban, Quebec. At age 12 in 1910, his family moved to Saskatoon to take over a dairy farm. Hall was in the audience on 29 July 1910, when Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier laid the cornerstone for the University of Saskatchewan. Hall studied law at the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, putting himself through by teaching French in local schools. One of his classmates was John Diefenbaker, future Prime Minister of Canada. He received his LLB from the U of S in 1919. Hall was called to the bar in 1922 and spent the next 35 years in private practice. He became a leading litigator in the Saskatchewan bar. Hall earned a reputation as a civil libertarian after serving as co-counsel in defending 24 unemployed on-to-Ottawa trekkers who were charged in the 1935 Regina Riot. In 1935 Hall was appointed King’s Counsel. He was elected a bencher of the Law Society of Saskatchewan, becoming president of the Law Society in 1952. He also taught law at the College of Law at the U of S. Appointed by John Diefenbaker in 1961 to chair a royal commission on Canada’s health care system, Hall issued a report in 1964 that went beyond Saskatchewan’s pioneering medicare legislation and recommended wider benefits, such as free prescription drugs for seniors and dental care for school children and people on social assistance. He is considered one of the fathers of the Canadian system of Medicare, along with his fellow Saskatchewanian, Tommy Douglas. Lester Pearson’s government adopted many of Hall’s recommendations and implemented a national health plan in 1968 that was cost-shared with provinces. Named to the Supreme Court in 1962, Hall’s lasting judicial legacy is in the area of Aboriginal law. Particularly noteworthy is his strong dissent in R v Calder, regarding Nisga’a title to territory. His view that Aboriginal title existed through centuries of occupation and could be extinguished only through surrender or by competent legislative authority is credited with influencing modern land claims settlements across Canada. Hall was awarded an honourary Doctor of Civil Laws degree by the U of S in 1962. Hall served as chancellor of two different universities: the University of Guelph (1971-1977) and the University of Saskatchewan (1979-1986). By a quirk of fate, he followed two former leaders of the federal Progressive Conservative party in the two positions. His predecessor as chancellor of Guelph was George Drew, who led the party from 1948 to 1956. At Saskatchewan, Hall succeeded his old law school chum, John Diefenbaker, who died in 1979. On his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1974, Hall was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, "for a lifetime of service to the law and for his contributions to the improvement of health services and education." Emmett Hall died 12 November 1995 in Saskatoon at age 96.

Using a surface geology map, Zoltan Hajnal, professor, Department of Geological Sciences, indicates where seismic surveys will be conducted to help explain the mid-continental evolution of the earth's crust.

Head and shoulders photo of Emmett M. Hall, Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, and honourary Doctor of Civil Laws degree recipient. Image possibly taken near time of presentation.

Bio/Historical Note: Emmett Matthew Hall was born 29 November 1898 in Saint-Colomban, Quebec. At age 12 in 1910, his family moved to Saskatoon to take over a dairy farm. Hall was in the audience on 29 July 1910, when Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier laid the cornerstone for the University of Saskatchewan. Hall studied law at the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, putting himself through by teaching French in local schools. One of his classmates was John Diefenbaker, future Prime Minister of Canada. He received his LLB from the U of S in 1919. Hall was called to the bar in 1922 and spent the next 35 years in private practice. He became a leading litigator in the Saskatchewan bar. Hall earned a reputation as a civil libertarian after serving as co-counsel in defending 24 unemployed on-to-Ottawa trekkers who were charged in the 1935 Regina Riot. In 1935 Hall was appointed King’s Counsel. He was elected a bencher of the Law Society of Saskatchewan, becoming president of the Law Society in 1952. He also taught law at the College of Law at the U of S. Appointed by John Diefenbaker in 1961 to chair a royal commission on Canada’s health care system, Hall issued a report in 1964 that went beyond Saskatchewan’s pioneering medicare legislation and recommended wider benefits, such as free prescription drugs for seniors and dental care for school children and people on social assistance. He is considered one of the fathers of the Canadian system of Medicare, along with his fellow Saskatchewanian, Tommy Douglas. Lester Pearson’s government adopted many of Hall’s recommendations and implemented a national health plan in 1968 that was cost-shared with provinces. Named to the Supreme Court in 1962, Hall’s lasting judicial legacy is in the area of Aboriginal law. Particularly noteworthy is his strong dissent in R v Calder, regarding Nisga’a title to territory. His view that Aboriginal title existed through centuries of occupation and could be extinguished only through surrender or by competent legislative authority is credited with influencing modern land claims settlements across Canada. Hall was awarded an honourary Doctor of Civil Laws degree by the U of S in 1962. Hall served as chancellor of two different universities: the University of Guelph (1971-1977) and the University of Saskatchewan (1979-1986). By a quirk of fate, he followed two former leaders of the federal Progressive Conservative party in the two positions. His predecessor as chancellor of Guelph was George Drew, who led the party from 1948 to 1956. At Saskatchewan, Hall succeeded his old law school chum, John Diefenbaker, who died in 1979. On his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1974, Hall was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, "for a lifetime of service to the law and for his contributions to the improvement of health services and education." Emmett Hall died 12 November 1995 in Saskatoon at age 96.

Head and shoulders image of D.H. Hall, assistant professor, Department of Geology.

Head and shoulders photo of Dr. Ed Halstead, officer-in-charge, Soils Testing Laboratory and lecturer, Department of Soil Science.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Edward Hartley Halstead was born 4 February 1933 in Alberta and as a child his family returned to Nokomis, Saskatchewan, to farm. His love for the land led him to study agriculture at the university level. Dr. Halstead completed a BSA (1961) and MSc (1963) at the University of Saskatchewan, and earned a PhD (1966) at Purdue University. His career led him back to the U of S as director of the Soil Testing Lab and later professor of Soil Science. In 1973 Dr. Halstead accepted an appointment with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria which was the first of his many international research opportunities. In retirement he continued to be active in his field and was a consultant with the Potash and Phosphate Institute of Canada. Dr. Halstead died 30 May 2008 in Saskatoon.

Indoor group photo of women's hockey team members holding hockey sticks (l to r): Christine Cameron Murray, Iona Dorine Lawless, Queade Isabel Helen Johnston, Edith Maud Hartt, Ellen Andreasen, Ada L. Staples (captain, centre), E. Alice Robinson (manager, cover point), Nan McKay (rover).

Two images (A & B) of General Reference Department disaster preparedness measures taken in anticipation of Y2K disaster.

Two images (A & B) of Public Computer area disaster preparedness measures taken in anticipation of Y2K disaster. Note garbage bags over computer monitors.

View of Computer Lab disaster preparedness measures taken in anticipation of Y2K disaster. Note plastic bags over computers.

Three images (A, B, C) of Government Documents area preparedness measures taken in anticipation of Y2K disaster.

View of Information Technology (IT) computer preparedness measures taken in anticipation of Y2K disaster.