Head and shoulders image of Dr. Balfour W. Currie, professor of Physics and dean of Graduate Studies.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Balfour Watson Currie was born in 1902 in Montana and grew up at Netherhill, near Kindersley. He came to the University of Saskatchewan as a student and received a BA in Physics (1925) and a MA in Physics (1927). Dr. Currie completed his PhD at McGill University in 1930. He was a staff member of the Department of Physics at the University of Saskatchewan (1928-1981), was professor of Physics (1943-1970), head of the department (1952-1961), founder of the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies (1956-1966), dean of Graduate Studies (1959-1970) and vice-president – research (1967-1974). Early in Dr. Currie’s career, he spent two years in the Canadian Arctic with Frank Davies at Chesterfield Inlet during the Second International Polar Year (IPY) (1932-1933). An online archive of Currie's work on 2nd IPY studies of the Polar Year data continued under his direction at the U of S after World War II. Upon his retirement as vice-president, he was appointed Special Advisor in Research Matters (1974-1978). Dr. Currie was appointed Canadian Coordinator of the International Magnetospheric Study from 1974-1979. During this period Dr. Currie also pursued an earlier research interest - possible influence of solar activity on prairie weather and rainfall. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to his fields of study, Dr. Currie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Meteorology Society of Great Britain in 1940, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1947. In 1967 he received the Patterson Medal from the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society. Dr. Currie retired from the U of S in 1970. In 1972 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada "for his services to science and education especially in the fields of meteorology and climatology", and was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree by the U of S in 1975. Dr. Currie died in Saskatoon in 1981.