Website chronicles U of C history

he year was 1905. Calgary was Western Canada’s newest city, fresh with hope, an entrepreneurial attitude, a blossoming economy and, a teacher training school with big plans.

Fast forward a century. Calgary has become Canada’s fastest-growing city, and the teacher training school has evolved into the University of Calgary, one of the country’s leading research institutions. To celebrate the triumphs and tribulations that shaped the campus, the university archives department has begun collecting information, pictures and anecdotes for the formation of a website, set to launch April 1, 2006. The launch will occur in time for the 40th anniversary of U of C’s autonomy, which was achieved in 1966.

The project covers the early period before the university’s formal inception, specifically from 1905 to 1965. Lisa Atkinson, archival program manager, says the 18-month project is daunting but inspiring. What she’s uncovered so far reveals Calgary’s legacy of entrepreneurial spirit, which stretched into the educational realm with impressive and sometimes, disappointing results.

“ There was, in fact, a “University of Calgary” (also known as Calgary College) established in 1912. It didn’t last long, only until 1915, but records indicate there was tremendous support for it amongst at least a segment of the population, with individual donors contributing up to $50,000 in addition to over 150 acres of land.

The institution probably failed because its ambitions were so large,” says Atkinson.
Back then, Calgary College boasted a Faculty of Arts that offered classes in English, Greek, Latin, French, German, philosophy, history, economics, mathematics, chemistry and physics, an extension department for Southern Alberta residents, and the Department of Laws, the formation of which gave Calgary “the honour of being the first city west of Winnipeg to establish a law school,” according to the university’s calendar.

The size of the university today is more than half the size of the entire population of the city of Calgary in 1912, and about four times the size of the city in 1905.
Judy Loosmore, researcher and web specialist for the project, said it took years for the University of Calgary to evolve into an independent institution.

“It was understood that when Alberta became a province, that if the capital went to Edmonton, the university would go to Calgary, but that didn’t happen.”

Instead, Edmonton became both the capital and the home of the provincial university. Calgary had the University of Alberta, Calgary Branch in 1958/59. This later changed to University of Alberta in Calgary. Then on April 1, 1966, the Universities Act, which stated that the University of Calgary was an autonomous institution, was proclaimed, said Loosmore.

Loosmore is researching the current history of the university, beginning in 1966, including faculty, enrolment, stats, as well as social perspectives and historical events of the day. “In 1966, tuition was $300 to $350 an academic year, there were almost 4,000 full-time undergraduate students and a little over 300 full-time graduate students, and there were about 355 professors teaching in about four faculties and four divisions or schools. Hot dogs in the new snacketeria were only 20 cents each, which was considered an outrage.”

Atkinson expects many people will be surprised to learn about the long history of the institution. “I hope that the project will raise the awareness of the university community, and the citizens of Calgary, about the long history of the University of Calgary, its triumphs and perhaps some trials as well, and that they will find reason to be very proud of their university.”

Anyone interested in contributing memories, stories, items and photos can contact Judy Loosmore at 220-7814 or email her at loosmore@ucalgary.ca. Be sure to indicate the year and circumstance, as well as your name, degree/year or relationship to the U of C.