Walter Oscar Kupsch was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 2 March 1919. Following service with the Netherlands Army in World War II, Kupsch earned a BSc from the University of Amsterdam in 1946, and both his MSc (1948) and PhD (1950) from the University of Michigan. He was hired by the University of Saskatchewan as an assistant professor (Geology) in 1950, and remained with the University throughout his career, earning the rank of associate professor in 1956 and full professor in 1964. Dr. Kupsch has had a career of distinguished service to the people of northern Canada. He served as director of the Institute for Northern Studies (1973-1976); was executive director of an advisory commission on the development of government in the Northwest Territories (1965-1966); directed the Churchill River Basin Environment Study (1973-1976); served as a member and vice-chair of the Northwest Territories science advisory board (1976-1984); and is past chair of the board of the Arctic Institute of North America. Upon his retirement from the University, Dr. Kupsch was named professor emeritus.