Persona

Quance, Frank Melville

1883-1968

Frank M. Quance was born in Elimville, Ontario in 1883. He attended Normal School in Regina before going on to the University of Alberta, where he earned both a BA (1914) and MA (1915). Quance first taught in rural and secondary schools in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan between 1901 and 1916, and became an Inspector of schools in 1916-17. In 1917, he joined the staff of the Normal School in Regina as an assistant. He received his PhD from Columbia University in 1926. By 1927, he had been appointed Principal of the Regina Normal School. Quance came to the University of Saskatchewan in 1927 to organize the School of Education, and the following year was appointed the first Dean of the newly created College. Under his leadership, the College of Education developed from a one-year postgraduate certificate course to an undergraduate degree program. Quance retired in 1947 and was named Dean Emeritus. That same year, he established the annual Quance Lecture Series. During his career, Quance gained a reputation as a leading Canadian educator and was particularly well known for developing the first spellers in Canada based on research. (A speller is a book that teaches spelling). The University of Saskatchewan awarded Quance an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1959. Quance died in Saskatoon on September 10, 1968.

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