F. Hedley Auld, University Chancellor, making presentation of an honourary Doctor of Laws degree to George Urwin at Convocation held in Physical Education gymnasium. Norman K. Cram, University Registrar, prepares to hood recipient.

Bio/Historical Note: George Urwin was born in 1886 in Middlesex, England, and came to western Canada in 1906. He first worked on a farm in the Boissevain district in Manitoba, then took up a homestead at Beechy, Saskatchewan, in 1910. Urwin became the first president of the Beechy Co-operative Association, beginning at that time a record of dedicated service to the co-operative movement that was to last well over half a century. Urwin was a leader in many producer and consumer co-operative organizations, within and far beyond his own home community. Urwin was one of the first in the area to sign a Saskatchewan Wheat Pool growers’ contract in 1924, and spent a number of years as a Pool delegate. Urwin played a prominent part in community affairs and filled several offices, including that of Justice of the Peace, reeve of his municipality, and secretary of his local school district. He also served as chairman of the Boards of University Hospital, Pion Era and the Western Development Museum. In 1943 Urwin was chosen president of the Saskatchewan Co-operative Wholesale Society Limited, and remained as president of its successors, Saskatchewan Federated Co-operatives Limited, and the expanded Federated Co-operatives Limited until his retirement in 1959. Urwin continued to act as president of Interprovincial Co-operatives Limited, a Canada-wide association of co-operative wholesaling organizations. In 1957 he represented Canadian Co-operatives as a member of a Canadian trade delegation to Britain. In 1962 an honourary Doctor of Laws degree was conferred on Urwin by the University of Saskatchewan in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the co-operative movement, and service to the people through various public offices. Urwin died in Saskatoon in 1967.