Head and shoulders image of Dr. Alan Hill, research associate, Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, from 1967-1970.

Image of the first class of students taking instruction in Veterinary Medicine who have started their four-year professional course. At far left is Dr. R.H. Dunlop, head, Department of Veterinary Physiology.

A female Computational Centre employee sits at a new computer.

Bio/Historical Note: A brief history of the early years of the Department of Computer Science until 1980: The University of Saskatchewan entered the computer age in 1959 with the installation of a Librascope General Precision LGP-30 computer. It was in the Mathematics department, located in the basement of the Crop Science Building, as it was too large to fit in the elevator in the Arts Building. The machine was designed to fit into a Steelcase office desk, and had 4096 words of 31-bit magnetic drum memory. It was jointly owned by the Saskatchewan Research Council, the National Research Council Prairie Regional Laboratory, and the University. In 1963 an IBM 1620 machine was installed on the third floor of the Engineering Building. It was a punch-card oriented machine operated by its users (one at a time). 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 (NRC). The NRC at that time had a one-time program to ‘kick-start’ computing capacity and usage at Canadian universities, and for the U of S, this resulted in the acquisition of the IBM 7040, a significant step up from the model 1620. Along with the facility, the Department of Computing Services was created under its first manager, Glenn W. Peardon (1928-2018). The 7040 was installed in July 1965, also in the Engineering building. The 1620 was retired in October of that year. Only a little over a year later the demands for computing were exceeding the capacity of the 7040, and an IBM 1401 was added to handle more work. In June 1967 it was proposed that a new machine be obtained, an IBM 360 Model 50. This was a mid-sized mainframe of that era and was expected to provide sufficient capacity until October 1968. It was installed in a new location in room 70 Arts Building, and although it was expected to be in service for only one year, it was still in place by July 1970.
Under the headship of Dr. Blaine Holmlund (1930-2006), the Department of Computational Science was established in 1967, and first offered classes in 1968. The computer support staff consisted of 22 operators, programmers and analysts. It was initially created as a department of the whole university, i.e., it did not belong to a particular college, as it was felt that it would have strong programs in all of Engineering, Arts and Science and Commerce. It did not join up with a college until many years later. The July 1970 purchase of the Hewlett Packard 2000A time-sharing system, which was a minicomputer capable of handling up to 16 simultaneous users (later expanded to 32). In October 1971 the Computer Advisory Committee in Saskatoon received a recommendation from the Universities Study Group (that had responsibility to the University as a whole), that the campus needs could best be handled by acquiring both an IBM 370/155 and a DECsystem 10. In 1973 the university installed a DECsystem 2050, its first time-sharing system. It served up to 32 simultaneous users, and was programmed in BASIC. In 1974 the department was renamed the Department of Academic and Computing Services. The DECsystem 2050 was installed in early 1979 and was upgraded to a 2060 in 1980. This system was called DEUS, for Data Entry, University of Saskatchewan; it consisted of a DEC PDP-11/70 minicomputer and 44 CRT stations in room 145 Arts. Following its installation, there was a rapid growth in its use, as the needs first expressed in 1970 were finally met with some adequate functionality in 1979. The DECsystem 2050 was upgraded to a 2060 in 1980.

Elevated view of Field Husbandry Building and surrounding buildings and pathways.

Bio/Historical Note: Field Husbandry changed its name to Crop Science in 1962.

Grouping of individual photos of residents at University Hospital between 1955-1963. Clockwise at top: Chertkow, G., 1955-56; Jaworski, Z.F., 1956-57; O'Herlihy, H.T., 1958-59; Fraser, J.G., 1961-62; Kitchen, B., 1960-61; Baugh, C.W., 1959-60; Mowbray, John H., 1957-58; and Howard, D.L.G., 1955. U of S logo at centre of grouping.

Dr. S. Holt, Department of Medicine, dispenses a dose of peanut lectin for human injection.

Head and shoulders image of Rose Hoffer, wife of Dr. Abram Hoffer, Associate Professor, Research Psychiatry, Department of Medicine.

Bio/Historical Note: The adage, "behind every great man is a great woman" has never been more beautifully exemplified than by the almost sixty-year relationship of Rose Beatrice (Miller) Hoffer (1920-2001) and Abram Hoffer (1917-2009). But in Rose's case, as they married in 1942, she was clearly beside her husband, not behind him. Her support and encouragement were essential to Abram's success; she shared his vision and provided a challenging sounding board for his ideas, and Rose was the major influence that persuaded Abram to study medicine. Rose's opinion of others was highly regarded by Abram, that her judgment was crucial to his decision process. As with many struggling families in the 1940s and 1950s, the Hoffers endured much hardship and separation. Rose cared for her two boys, Bill and John, alone in Saskatoon while Abram completed his last two years of medicine in Toronto. Abram was unable to attend the birth of their third child, Miriam, who was born while he was writing his final medical exams. Later, as Director of Psychiatric Research in Regina, Abram sought to improve the treatment of his schizophrenic patients. Rose also always embraced those in need, providing them with patience, insight and care. After Abram’s retirement in 1976, he and Rose moved to Victoria, British Columbia. In 1980 she, along with her good friend, Muriel Warrington, combined 25 years of Abram's work in orthomolecular medicine with her experience as a homemaker and mother to write a book of recipes for wholesome, nutrient-rich snacks. "Everybody's Favorite Orthomolecular Muffin Book" was published by Keats. Rose participated in every "Nutritional Medicine Today" Conference until the spring of 2001, when she was too ill to travel. Rose died in Victoria on 6 August 2001 at age 81.
From: In Memoriam - Rose Hoffer April 10, 1919 - August 6, 2001 (orthomolecular.org).

Head and shoulders image of Trevor Horwitz, Assistant Professor, Medical Imaging.

Head and shoulders photo of Dr. Bill Howell, professor of Department of Animal and Poultry Science.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. William Edwin (Bill) Howell was born 23 March 1923 in Toronto. Dr. Howell served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, first in the North Atlantic and later in the Mediterranean and Pacific. He earned his DVM from Ontario Agricultural Clinic. After obtaining his PhD at the University of Minnesota in 1952, he joined the Department of Animal Husbandry (later Animal Science), retiring in 1993. Bill Howell died 30 May 2009 in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia.

Head and shoulders image of Dr. Ernest A. Howes, dean of Agriculture, University of Alberta; dressed in academic robes.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Ernest Albert Howes (1872-1940) was dean of Agriculture at the University of Alberta at the time of his death.

Head and shoulders photo of Roy H. Hunter, Associate Professor, College of Education, Regina Campus, from 1964-1967.

Head and shoulders image of Dr. Neil B. Hutcheon, director, National Research Council, Ottawa.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Neil Barron Hutcheon (1911-1989) earned a BEng from the University of Saskatchewan and a DPhil from the University of London. Returning to the U of S as professor of Mechanical Engineering, he remained there until 1953. Dr. Hutcheon joined the National Research Council as assistant director of the Division of Building Research. He became director in 1969. Dr. Hutcheon took early retirement in 1974 to prepare teaching material for building science courses associated with heat and moisture problems in buildings. Dr. Hutcheon was a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a past president of the Association of Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan, and a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, of which he was a director for four years. The latter association honoured Dr. Hutcheon with its "Distinguished Service Award" in 1967 and with the "F. Paul Anderson Award" in 1975, the highest award for "notable scientific achievement." The U of S awarded him an honourary Doctor of Laws degree in 1975. The Neil Hutcheon Prize is awarded annually by the College of Engineering.

Head and shoulders image of Mary H. Hull, Associate Professor of Extension.

Bio/historical note: Mary Helene Hull (nee Robin), Associate Professor of Extension, was a specialist in clothing and textiles with the Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan from 1961 to her retirement in 1979. She received her formal training in Winnipeg as an apprentice and was granted a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring. In 1949 she graduated from the University of Manitoba in Home Economics. An M.Sc. graduate in Sociology from the University of London, Hull had a thorough background of experience as a teacher of clothing construction. Before joining the staff at the University, she worked in Extension in Prince Edward Island. Mary died in Saskatoon on 14 January 1999.

Head and shoulders image of Clayton Jackson, Department of Agricultural Economics.

Bio/Historical Note: Clayton Jackson was awarded a Long Service Award from the U of S in 2012.