The fonds includes material documenting William Deverell’s career primarily as a writer and a lawyer. Among other material, included are research and drafts relating to most of his books and screenplays; other writing; documents re court cases, particularly those used as background for books and screenplays (including the CBC series Scales of Justice); records relating to The Writers Union of Canada; material relating to early activities including newspaper articles written by Deverell and clippings etc. relating to his election campaigns and trials he was involved in; videocassettes of his films Shellgame and Mindfield; correspondence with agents, publishers, producers, fans, etc., and other records relating to the publication and promotion of his books and films; and professional and personal correspondence with Carol Shields, Marian Engel, Margaret Atwood, Susan Musgrave, Stephen Reid and others.
Image of William C. McNamara, honourary Doctor of Laws degree recipient; possibly taken at time of presentation.
Bio/Historical Note: William Craig McNamara was born in 1904 in Winnipeg, Manitoba but raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 1923, McNamara found work with the Standard Bank of Canada but left in 1924 to become an office boy with the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. McNamara joined the Canadian Wheat Board in 1942 and was appointed commissioner in 1955 becoming assistant chief commissioner in 1947 and then chief commissioner in 1958. McNamara held that position until 1970 when he was appointed to the Senate where he sat as a Liberal representing Manitoba. McNamara retired from the upper house in 1979. McNamara died in 1984.
Head and shoulders image of Bill Sinnett, director of Business Services.
Bio/Historical Note: William Edward (Bill) Sinnett was born in 1939 on the family farm near Sinnett, Saskatchewan. He attended St. Peter's College (Muenster, SK) for Grade 12 and first year of University. He worked for Boychuck Construction in Saskatoon and then SaskPower Corporation in Highline Construction in Southern Saskatchewan. In July 1959 Sinnett was injured in a car accident and became a paraplegic. He was released from University Hospital in April 1960, and began employment at SaskPower in Saskatoon. Sinnett obtained his BComm in 1970 and then articled for Touche Ross and Company, Chartered Accountants and became a Chartered Accountant in 1972. Bill specialized in Audit of larger computer systems and was instrumental in developing Touche's computer audit process. He spent a lot of time traveling for business - including Regina, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto as well as Los Angeles and New York City. Sinnett joined the U of S Administration - Business Services in 1986 and retired in 1999. Sinnett died in Saskatoon on 20 April 2020.
Head and shoulders image of Bill Deverell, candidate for WAB in 1959.
Bio/Historical Note: William Herbert Deverell (b. 1937) is a Canadian novelist, activist, and criminal lawyer. Deverell worked his way through law school at the University of Saskatchewan as night editor of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. He held a D. Juris from that university, where he had been an invited lecturer in the Shumiatcher series on Law and Literature and was honored at its College of Arts and Science's centenary in 2009 as one of its 100 alumni of influence. He was founder and honorary director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. The BCCLA has played a prominent role in fighting for human rights since its formation in 1962 to advocate for a small religious sect, Sons of Freedom, whose members had been charged with conspiring to intimidate Parliament and the B.C. Legislature. Between 1968 and 1973 the BCCLA took on a string of challenges against censorship, including obscenity charges against Vancouver’s alternative newspaper, the Georgia Straight. Deverell was among prominent Canadians such as David Suzuki involved with the association in fighting for civil rights. Deverell, who received an LLB in 1963 and B.A. in 1964, was awarded an Honourary Degree in 2016.
William and Mary Diefenbaker with Helena Kinzie (nee Diefenbaker), William's sister, and an unidentified man [possibly her husband], standing outside unidentified house.
William and Elmer Diefenbaker (Elmer is seated third from the right in the second row) and the other students of Hoffungsfeld School (located 14 miles N.E. of Borden).
