WHO ARE U?

Judy Loosmore,
archives and special collections

How long have you worked at U of C?

I started here full time in 1985 with the Institute for Computer Assisted Learning, moved to Academic Computing Services, then Com/Media and, in 1998, came to the University Archives and am now working for Archives and Special Collections. I’ve really been around since 1979 when I took two half-courses as a transfer student for my BEd from U of Manitoba. I received my MA from U of C in 1985.

What do you like best about your job?

Delving into the past, finding some of the fascinating tidbits for the 40th anniversary project. Like this ad from the 1970 Gauntlet for the Dining Centre offering students a monthly contract for meals: $1 for lunches and $1.50 for full-course dinners.
Did you know that the Students’ Union held a contest to name the new Students’ Union Building in 1968? The winning submission, submitted by Duncan Ooko, was Harambe House. Harambe is a Swahili word meaning “working together of people at a particular place for a common good.” The Board of Governors questioned the appropriateness of the name and officially named it MacEwan Hall in honour of J.W. Grant MacEwan.

A 1968 ad in the Gauntlet read, “Share an apartment. Private entrance, fireplace, bar and 20-minute walk from campus. $40 and share groceries.” Of course, you must remember that the minimum wage in Alberta in 1968 was $1.25.

What are people looking for when they come to the Archives?

Quite a few people are looking for course descriptions from past calendars to see if the courses they took here are the same as a course at another university. We also get quite a few people looking for information about their parents or grandparents, looking through yearbooks and such. And we’ve had some profs lately who are doing research on their faculty’s history.

What do you do in your spare time?

Gardening, quilting, crafts, photography, entertaining friends.

What was the last movie you saw?

Return of the King.

Who are your favourite authors?

J.R.R. Tolkein, Elizabeth Peters, Anne McCaffrey.

What would you be doing if you didn’t work here?

I would be doing my crafts and volunteering. Here at U of C, I volunteer for Convocation, Faculty Technology Days, Campus Fair and United Way and I’d like to expand that into the community.

Compiled by Ken Bendiktsen

Who are U is a regular feature highlighting the work of campus staff.