Dr. Samuel R. Laycock, Professor of Educational Psychology (1927-1947), Dean, College of Education, (1947-1953, University of Saskatchewan, on the occasion of being invested with the Medal of Service of the Order of Canada (S.M.) by Rt. Hon. Roland Michener, Governor-General of Canada at Government House, Ottawa.

Bio/Historical Note: Samuel Ralph Laycock, ’16 MA, ’20 BDiv, ’23 BEd, was born in Marmora, Ontario, in 1891. He received his BA from the University of Toronto before moving to Edmonton, where he taught math and Latin for five years while earning a MA from the University of Alberta. During the First World War, he enlisted in the Canadian Signals Corps and served in France. After demobilization he joined the staff of the U of A and earned a master’s degree in education. He attended summer sessions at Columbia and Harvard before enrolling at the University of London, from which he received a PhD in 1927. That same year he was appointed assistant professor of educational psychology at the newly formed School of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. He was promoted to full professor in 1929 and served as dean of education from 1947 to 1954. Upon retirement he continued to teach summer session courses at a number of Canadian and American universities and in 1958 accepted a University of British Columbia appointment as special lecturer. He was the author of 14 books and published more than 700 articles, as well as conducting the CBC’s School for Parents for 18 years. He also pioneered the Canadian Home and School and Parent-Teacher movement and served on a number of boards, councils, committees and commissions. Among the many honours bestowed upon him were an honorary degree from the University of Saskatchewan and the Medal of Service of the Order of Canada. He died in Vancouver on 5 September 1971.