Head and shoulders image of Vera Pezer, associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services.

Bio/Historical Note: Vera Rose Pezer was born in 1939 in Melfort, Saskatchewan. She attended school in Meskanaw, Saskatchewan, and received her BA in English in 1962 from the University of Saskatchewan. Continuing on, she received her MA in 1964 and her PhD in sports psychology in 1977. From 1991-2001 Pezer served as the University of Saskatchewan associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services. She was director of Student Counselling (1978), assistant professor of Psychology and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Science (1978 and 1981). In 2007 Pezer was elected Chancellor and served 2 terms as Chancellor until her retirement in 2013. Pezer is a four-time Canadian Women's curling champion. Pezer served as Sport Psychologist to the Canadian Curling Teams in two Olympic Games. Pezer's curling team was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1976, the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Saskatoon Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1972 Pezer was involved in the very first Battle of the Sexes in curling, defeating Orest Meleschuk 4-3 in a televised game on CBC. After retiring from curling, Pezer was a curling analyst for TSN. She also played in two Canadian Senior Ladies competitions. Pezer was a member of the Saskatoon Imperials which captured national fastball championships in 1969 and 1970. Pezer is the author of The Stone Age: A Social History of Curling in the Prairies (2003) and "Smart Curling" (2007). Pezer Crescent, Court, Cove and Lane, in the Silverspring neighborhood of Saskatoon, honours the accomplishments of Pezer, University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors appointed Pezer to the status of Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Services Emerita. She received the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Award of Achievement in 2002. In 2006 Pezer was honoured with a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal. In 2019 Pezer was named the ninth greatest Canadian curler in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.

Head and shoulders image of Vera Pezer, associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services, seated behind a table.

Bio/Historical Note: Vera Rose Pezer was born in 1939 in Melfort, Saskatchewan. She attended school in Meskanaw, Saskatchewan, and received her BA in English in 1962 from the University of Saskatchewan. Continuing on, she received her MA in 1964 and her PhD in sports psychology in 1977. From 1991-2001 Pezer served as the University of Saskatchewan associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services. She was director of Student Counselling (1978), assistant professor of Psychology and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Science (1978 and 1981). In 2007 Pezer was elected Chancellor and served 2 terms as Chancellor until her retirement in 2013. Pezer is a four-time Canadian Women's curling champion. Pezer served as Sport Psychologist to the Canadian Curling Teams in two Olympic Games. Pezer's curling team was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1976, the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Saskatoon Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1972 Pezer was involved in the very first Battle of the Sexes in curling, defeating Orest Meleschuk 4-3 in a televised game on CBC. After retiring from curling, Pezer was a curling analyst for TSN. She also played in two Canadian Senior Ladies competitions. Pezer was a member of the Saskatoon Imperials which captured national fastball championships in 1969 and 1970. Pezer is the author of The Stone Age: A Social History of Curling in the Prairies (2003) and "Smart Curling" (2007). Pezer Crescent, Court, Cove and Lane, in the Silverspring neighborhood of Saskatoon, honours the accomplishments of Pezer, University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors appointed Pezer to the status of Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Services Emerita. She received the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Award of Achievement in 2002. In 2006 Pezer was honoured with a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal. In 2019 Pezer was named the ninth greatest Canadian curler in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.

Head and shoulders image of Vera Pezer, associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services.

Bio/Historical Note: Vera Rose Pezer was born in 1939 in Melfort, Saskatchewan. She attended school in Meskanaw, Saskatchewan, and received her BA in English in 1962 from the University of Saskatchewan. Continuing on, she received her MA in 1964 and her PhD in sports psychology in 1977. From 1991-2001 Pezer served as the University of Saskatchewan associate vice-president of Student Affairs and Services. She was director of Student Counselling (1978), assistant professor of Psychology and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Science (1978 and 1981). In 2007 Pezer was elected Chancellor and served 2 terms as Chancellor until her retirement in 2013. Pezer is a four-time Canadian Women's curling champion. Pezer served as Sport Psychologist to the Canadian Curling Teams in two Olympic Games. Pezer's curling team was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1976, the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Saskatoon Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1972 Pezer was involved in the very first Battle of the Sexes in curling, defeating Orest Meleschuk 4-3 in a televised game on CBC. After retiring from curling, Pezer was a curling analyst for TSN. She also played in two Canadian Senior Ladies competitions. Pezer was a member of the Saskatoon Imperials which captured national fastball championships in 1969 and 1970. Pezer is the author of The Stone Age: A Social History of Curling in the Prairies (2003) and "Smart Curling" (2007). Pezer Crescent, Court, Cove and Lane, in the Silverspring neighborhood of Saskatoon, honours the accomplishments of Pezer, University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors appointed Pezer to the status of Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs and Services Emerita. She received the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Award of Achievement in 2002. In 2006 Pezer was honoured with a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal. In 2019 Pezer was named the ninth greatest Canadian curler in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.

Head and shoulders image of Nan McKay, assistant librarian, 1915-1959.

Bio/Historical Note: Annie Maude (Nan) McKay was born in 1892 at Fort à la Corne, Northwest Territories, the daughter of Annie Maud Mary Fortescue; her father was Angus McKay, Hudson Bay Company employee, McKay completed high school in Prince Albert and won a scholarship to the University of Saskatchewan, where she took an honours course in English and French. She was awarded a BA in 1915. McKay was active in student affairs, serving on the student council and the executives of the YWCA and Penta Kai Deka, and as the staff artist of The Sheaf. McKay was a member of the women’s hockey team in 1915 and played hockey on university-affiliated teams until well into the 1920s. During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 she worked as a volunteer nurse; her name is painted on the stairwell in the College Building — and she was chosen to unveil the plaque commemorating the undergraduate student who died. Upon graduation in 1915 McKay was hired as assistant librarian of the University Library, and later became the first secretary-treasurer of the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association (established in 1917). McKay worked at the library for 44 years until her retirement in 1959. McKay died on 27 July 1986 in Saskatoon at age of 93. In 2007 she was chosen one of the University of Saskatchewan’s “100 Alumni of Influence” and was said to be the “first Métis and first Aboriginal woman” to graduate from the University. The holdings of the University of Saskatchewan Archives contain a 1915 photo of McKay shown sharing an embrace and a kiss with a woman named Hope Weir (BA’15) outside a university residence building. The kiss photo was originally found about one-third of the way through a McKay photo album that also included pictures of parties, theatrical performances, camping and other aspects of student life. For a biography on Nan McKay, see: https://library.usask.ca/indigenous/history_essays/nan_mckay.php

View showing the tower and the classrooms of the Arts Building. Two cars are parked in front on road that is unpaved.

W. Murray Riddell, president, University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association, speaking at installation of Dr. Begg as principal, Saskatoon Campus. Held at Centennial Auditorium.

Bio/historical note: Robert William Begg (1914-1982) was born in Florenceville, New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of King's College in 1936. He received a Master of Science degree in 1938 and a Doctor of Medicine in 1942 from Dalhousie University. During World War II, he served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps . After the war, he received a Ph.D. from Oxford University. From 1946 to 1950, he taught at Dalhousie University. From 1950 to 1957, he taught at the University of Western Ontario. In 1957, he became head of the Saskatchewan research unit of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, head of the cancer research department at the University of Saskatchewan and taught pathology. In 1962, he became Dean of the College of Medicine and Principal of the Saskatoon campus in 1967. From 1975 to 1980, he was the fifth president of the University of Saskatchewan. In 1976, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his distinguished career in education and for his contributions to cancer research.” Begg died in Saskatoon in 1982 after a lengthy illness.

Large group of graduates pose informally in the doorway of the Administration Building.