Head and shoulders image of Dr. Ira Allan MacKay, MA, LLB.(Dalhousie), PhD (Cornell), and professor of Philosophy and Political Science.

Bio/Historical Note: A pivotal event in the history of the University of Saskatchewan has come to be known as “the University crisis of 1919.” The matter became public on June 28 when the Saskatoon Star announced that four members of faculty had been fired without explanation. They were: Samuel E. Greenway, director of Extension; Robert D. McLaurin; head of Chemistry; Ira A. MacKay, professor of Law; and John L. Hogg, head of Physics. All were senior members of faculty with many years of experience. The affair had started in March of that year when Greenway had accused Walter C. Murray, University President, of falsifying a report about University finances. This complaint had been made to the government and not to the Board of Governors. In early April Council voted 27 to zero “affirming its confidence and loyalty to the President” while four members abstained. Three of those who abstained plus Greenway were dismissed as the Board put it, “in the best interest of the University.” The public and the press clamoured for an explanation. When one was not forthcoming, calls for a public inquiry were loud and persistent. In accordance with the University Act, the Lieutenant Governor assumed the role of Visitor and through the office of the King’s Bench held a series of hearings. The Visitor’s report was delivered in April 1920 and vindicated the Board’s decision saying it was “regular, proper and in the best interest of the university.” The professors were not protected by tenure but were employed “at the pleasure of the board.” Their act of disloyalty was enough to cost them their jobs. Ira MacKay’s career did not suffer any lasting damage from his involvement. His dismissal, along with that of the other three, was changed to a leave with pay for the academic year of 1919-20. Later he went on to McGill University as a professor of Constitutional and International Law. MacKay was appointed professor of Logic and Metaphysics and dean of Arts at McGill. MacKay died suddenly of a heart attack in 1934 at Chester, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, and is buried at Outremont, Quebec.