Elevated view of model of the Arts Building with other buildings surrounding it.

Bio/Historical Note: As early as 1909 plans for an Arts Building were proposed for the University of Saskatchewan campus. In the early years of the University, David Brown and Hugh Vallance, the original campus architects, had in fact designed a building for the Humanities. The building was to have been named Haultain Hall after Sir Frederick Haultain, Premier of the North West Territories from 1891-1905 and Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan from 1917-1940. Construction on Haultain Hall was to have commenced during the mid-1910s but the onset of World War I postponed construction. A decade later building plans were again foiled when on 13 March 1925 the original Engineering Building burned down. Efforts to rebuild the building as quickly as possible sapped what funds existed for construction and the Arts Building and several other projects were put on hold indefinitely. In 1929 University President Walter Murray launched a campaign for a building “ that would provide much needed space for Arts, biology, the School of Household Science, the College of Education, the School of Accounting, administrative offices, a small gym for women, a library, and a museum. The cost as of the summer of 1930 was estimated at $885,832." This third attempt to construct an Arts Building would also fall short when on 30 October, 1930 Premier Anderson wrote that the University would have to wait another year for funding. In 1933 Murray dared to ask again, at which point his request for funding was flatly denied. Finally in 1957 funding for the construction of an Arts building materialized. In that year the Canada Council provided a grant to the University of Saskatchewan for the construction of the Arts Building. In May 1957 University President Walter Thompson obtained an agreement from the Provincial Government to provide for one-half of the funds for the Arts Building.