John Diefenbaker with Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos (on left of JGD in photo), Canadian Ambassador William Arthur Irwin (to right of JGD on photo) and two unidentified men, posing beside the wreath that JGD has just placed on the Mexican Independence Monument, April 1960.

Several people standing beside memorial of wreathes; dark slide.

Portrait of W.R. Motherwell.

Head and shoulders photo of William Richard Hubbard, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Education (Curriculum Studies).

Head shot of W.R. Staples, Engineering.

W.P. Thompson receiving his Order of Canada medal.

W.P. Thompson, future University President, playing tennis [on campus], Unidentified woman on the court in background, house and trees in the distance.

Bio/Historical Note: Walter Palmer Thompson was born 3 April 1889 near Decewsville, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA (1910), and from Harvard with an AM (1912) and PhD (1914). Thompson came to the University of Saskatchewan as professor and head of the Biology Department in 1913. He was an important figure at the university for the next fifty years. Thompson served in a variety of administrative positions: dean of Junior Colleges (1934); dean of Arts and Sciences (1938); acting president (1942); director of Summer School (1948); and president of the University (1949). Dr. Thompson retired in 1959 and became President Emeritus. During his academic career Thompson gained international recognition for his work as a geneticist, particularly for the development of rust resistant wheat hybrids. The W.P. Thompson Biology Building, opened in 1960, was named in his honour. Upon his retirement as president Thompson was appointed chairman of the Advisory Committee on Medical Care. The recommendations of this committee were an important foundation for the provincial Medicare system. In 1967 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the first to receive this award. He was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree in 1960 by the U of S. Walter Thompson died in Toronto in 1970.

Lounging on some unknown material in the [desert], hills in the distance.

Bio/historical note: Walter Palmer Thompson's association with the University of Saskatchewan began in 1912 in the Department of Biology as a graduate student where he organized the first Biology course. His Under graduate studies included Bachelor of Arts from Toronto University 1906-10, Masters and Doctorate from Harvard. He was awarded a fellowship that allowed him to travel to Africa and Java to study and collect plants, also to visit many European laboratories. He became Professor of Biology in 1913; Junior Dean 1933; Dean of Arts and Science 1938; President of University of Saskatchewan 1949; and President Emeritus 1959. In 1967 he was made Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the first group to receive this award for "merit of the highest degree". The W.P. Thompson Biology Building was named in his honour, which opened in 1960. W.P. Thompson married Marjorie Gordon in 1914 and had two children, Mary Gordon (Smith) born 19 August 1916 and a son James Scott born 31 July 1919.

W.P. Thompson and his family outside the Biology Building; Marjorie Thompson at far left.

University of Saskatchewan President W.P. Thompson receives student initiated W.P. Thompson Scholarship. Dr. T Thorvaldson, student Sam Filer, and Professor Ken Buckley also in photograph.

Image of W.P. and Mrs. Marjorie Thompson receiving Thomas H. McLeod and Mrs. Beryl McLeod in the upper Memorial Union Building lounge.