Durward Thomas, LLB '29 (Sask), registrar of the Court of Queen's Bench and former Saskatoon alderman, pulls a cord revealing painting of F.C. Cronkite, Dean of Law from 1930-1961, on display.

Bio/Historical Note: Born on a New Brunswick farm on 22 December 1894, Frederick Clinton Cronkite received his early education locally, including a BA from the University of New Brunswick. Upon graduation he studied at Harvard, obtaining both an MA in economics and government and an LLB. Cronkite returned to New Brunswick were he practiced law until 1924, when he joined the faculty of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1930 he succeeded Dr. Arthur S. Moxon as Dean. During his tenure enrollment in the College of Law increased and the College broadened its curriculum, providing classes in both labour and administrative law. Cronkite was active in civic politics, serving as an alderman for ten years. He was also active provincially and nationally, aiding in the presentation of the Saskatchewan case to the Rowell-Sirois Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations, serving on the Royal Commission on Transportation, corresponding on various other royal commissions, and serving on the Saskatchewan Reconstruction Council, the Committee on Urban Assessments, and on the Saskatchewan Health Services Planning Commission. Between 1945-1961 he was asked to hear several labour arbitration cases. Upon Cronkite's retirement in 1961 he was named Dean Emeritus; and in 1967 the U of S awarded him an honourary Doctor of Laws degree. Dr. Cronkite died in April 1973.