Introduction 1955-1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 and beyond - Bibliography
Date: 1963 January.
Event: The Atkinson Charitable foundation donates $150 000 to the University as its second installment to establish Atkinson College.
Category: Administrative History - University.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p. 7.
Date: 1963 January.
Event: Senate approves the York University Curriculum for the Ordinary Program leading to a Bachelor of Arts. Senate also approves the Specialized Hours Program leading to a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours. The new curriculum will be introduced in the autumn of 1963. There are also curriculum changes for Atkinson College's Bachelor of Arts degree. The course load is reduced from 16 to 15 courses, and there are changes to the second language requirements.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, pp. 1 - 4.
Date: 1963 January
Event: The inauguration of the annual "The Frank Gerstein Lectures - the York University Invitation Series, 1963" takes place. The lectures on "Imagination and the University" are delivered by Professor Gordon Allcock, Dr. Jacob Bronowski, Professor Henry Steele Commager and Professor Paul H. Buck. The York University Invitation Lectures from 1962, "The University and the New World", are published by the University of Toronto Press in association with York University.
Category: Cultural Life - University.
Source: York University Gazette, 8 January 1963, p. 16, York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p. 9.
Date: 1963 January 17.
Event: The Senate establishes a Committee on Graduate Studies. Its mandate is "to explore the nature and organization of a Graduate program suitable to York University." M.H. Appley is Committee Chairman. C.D. Fowle, H.S. Harris (secretary), E.W. McInnis, and G. Tatham are the other members. (The Committee submits their report in May 1963).
Category: Academic Life.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p. 5; York University Gazette, 13 September 1963, pp. 5-12.
Date: 1963 January 25.
Event: Mr. Donald S. Rickerd is appointed Master of Residence at York University. The new residence will house 200 students. It will open in September 1963, the first of four planned residences for the Glendon campus. It is anticipated that most students will live on campus.
Category: Administrative History - Institution.
Source: York University press release, 25 January 1963. Presidents' Papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 February.
Event: The City of Toronto commissions Gerald Trottier to "design and fashion" a mace for presentation to the University.
Category: Cultural Life - University.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963 p.10.
Date: 1963 February 14.
Event: A few faculty members celebrate the first anniversary of Pro-Tem: The Student Weekly of York University, by contributing "The First Annual Faculty Issue" which satirizes administrators, faculty and students and policies at the university. The issue has a mixed reception.
Category: Cultural Life - University.
Source: Pro-Tem, [14 February 1963].
Date: 1963 February 18.
Event: Thomas F. O'Connell is appointed Director of Library Services and Associate Professor of Bibliography, effective March 1, 1963.
Category: Administrative History - Faculty.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p. 6; York University press release, 18 February 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 February 20.
Event: The York University Choir under Dr. William McCauley places first among mixed choirs in the Kiwanis Music Festival. York Strings also wins 1st prize at the Kiwanis competition.
Category: Cultural Life - Students.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p.10; York University History Project, "Information Sheet - 1963," p. I.
Date: 1963 Spring.
Event: Dr. Ernest E. McMahon, Dean, of University College and the University Extension Division at Rutgers State University of New Jersey, is invited to develop a long-term plan for the organization and operation of Atkinson College. His report and his discussions with the Senate lead to a number of organizing principles for the College. These include the institution of a summer term; the determination that the academic standards of the College will be equal to those in the University at large; that the teaching faculty would include full-time professors and senior members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as well as part-time staff; and that student admission requirements would be the same as the requirements for full time undergraduate students.
Category: Administrative History - Institution.
Source: Murray G. Ross, These five years, p. 46.
Date: 1963 April 24.
Event: Professors John T. Saywell and Edward L. Pattullo are appointed Associate Deans of the Faculty of Arts and Science effective July 1, 1963. Professor Saywell will also serve as Chairman of the Division of Social Science.
Category: Administrative History - Government; Administrative History - Faculty.
Source: York University Gazette, 11 February 1963, p.7; York University press release, 24 April 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 May or April?
Event: Senate authorizes the establishment of the Department of Modern Languages to include Russian, Spanish, French and Latin.
Category: Academic Life.
Source: York University Gazette, 15 May 1963, p. 3.
Date: 1963 April.
Event: The York choir records its first album,"From Bach to Rock" with Capital Records.
Category: Cultural Life - Students.
Source: Murray G. Ross, These five years, p. 69.
Date: 1963 May 29.
Event: The graduation ceremonies and the conferring of degrees takes place for the first class of York University students in the Bachelor of Arts, General Course, at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto. The students receive Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Toronto as well as a "York Certificate to Graduating Students." Following the Convocation, there is a luncheon in the Dining Hall at Glendon Hall.
Category: Academic Life.
Source: Globe and Mail, May 30, 1963; York University Gazette, 15 May 1963, pp. 2 - 4, 15.
Date 1963 Spring and Summer.
Event: "The Trouble." Articles in Toronto newspapers reflect the staff/administration malaise regarding the University's expansion plans and the President's administrative style. Professor John Seeley asks the Chairman of the Board to launch an investigation by an impartial body. Chairman Winters does not launch an independent investigation of staff grievances. Five staff members resign. The President of the Student Administrative Council resigns. Dr. C. David Fowle, the Chairman of the York University Faculty Association, releases a statement that the dispute does not involve the majority of the faculty. " We wish to assure the public that the quality of scholarship and teaching at York will not be impaired by any present or indeed past controversies."
Category: Administrative History - Faculty; Academic Life.
Source: Globe and Mail, June 29 1963; Globe and Mail, July 3, 1963; Globe and Mail, July 4 1963; York University Gazette, 13 September 1963, pp. 22-23.
Date: 1963 August 21.
Event: D. McCormack Smyth is appointed Acting Dean of Atkinson College, following Dean Neil Morrison's resignation.
Category: Administrative History - Institution.
Source: York University press release, 21 August 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 September ?. (1 st day classes)
Event: Lectures begin. Undergraduate enrolment tops 1 000. There are approximately 500 day students and 600 evening, part-time students. This is the first year that Atkinson students make up more than 50 % of the student body. The University introduces its new curriculum and new four-year Honours degree courses in both Arts and Science, in addition to the regular Arts degree course.
Atkinson Colleges offers 11 courses to part-time students in the disciplines of English, Mathematics, Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science and French. The Atkinson College Student Association is established, and The Atkinsonian , the College's student newspaper, is published.
Category: Academic Life; Cultural Life - Students.
Source: Murray G. Ross, These five years, p.43; York University press release, 9 October 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 September 19.
Event: The Senate and the Board of Governors endorse The Report of the Committee on Graduate Studies, and approve and authorize the establishment of the Graduate Faculty at York. The Graduate Faculty Council and Faculty of York University is established. Its initial members are the present Chairmen of Departments and Divisions, and senior members of those Departments without Chairmen. It is recommended that formal graduate programs begin in 1967. Professor Edgar W. McInnis is appointed Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Category: Academic Life; Administrative History - Faculty; Administrative History - Institution.
Source: York University Gazette, 13 September 1963, p.2; York University Gazette, 28 October 1963, pp.1 - 2.
Date: 1963 October 9.
Event: Premier John P. Robarts, Q.C., officially opens and dedicates the Glendon campus buildings: the Library, the Wood Residence, the Central Power Plant and the York Hall extension (including the Board and Senate Chamber). The "Leslie Frost Library " is named to honour the former Premier of Ontario for his "constant and strong support to the University", as well as his personal interest in the history of Ontario, and "his deep interest and knowledge of libraries as custodians of the written word."
Category: Buildings and Property.
Source: York University Gazette, 20 November 1963, p. 4; York University press release, 9 October 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 November.
Event: At the Board of Governors meeting, Allan T. Lambert is appointed Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors. He is also appointed Chairman of the University's 1965 Fund campaign. The Advisory Committee on Art, in association with buildings, is advised to spend half of 1% of the estimated cost of each building on works of fine art.
Category: Administrative History - Institution; Buildings and Property.
Source: York University Gazette, 18 December 1963, p.7.
Date: 1963 November 14.
Event: The Senate unanimously passes the motion that " ...the degree of Bachelor of Arts with General Honours be established in order to make it easier to carry on continuing experiments with inter-disciplinary and non-departmental work in the upper class curriculum."
Category: Academic Life.
Source: York University Gazette, 18 December 1963, p.10.
Date: 1963 November 27.
Event: The Faculty of Arts and Science introduces a public, ticketed lecture series by newly appointed senior members of the faculty. Professor A. Wittenburg (Department of Mathematics) lectures on "General Education as a Challenge for Creative Scholarship." Each month from January through April 1964 there are lectures by Professors J. Warkentin, F.H. Knelman, J. Yolton and E. Mandel.
Category: Academic Life.
Source: York University press release, 27 November 1963. Presidents' papers. York University Archives.
Date: 1963 December 4.
Event: The twenty-year Master Plan for York University is released.
In 1961, Dr. E. F. Sheffield estimated that the rate of growth of Canada's university age population (from 1961 - 1966) would increase by approximately ten per cent each year and eleven per cent per year thereafter. (The Plan estimated that by 1980 York University would have 19 800 students, 1 700 faculty members, and 3 200 other staff employees.) York's growth involved a commitment to meet the demands of this population surge but it was also keen to set its own path in Canadian higher education.
Glendon campus was to become a residential, liberal arts college in the tradition of American colleges such as Reed, Swarthmore and Amherst.
Atkinson was to continue as a degree granting, part-time, evening college for adults.
The main campus was to become a multi-faculty university with undergraduate and graduate programs in the "... Natural and Social Sciences; the Humanities; Medicine; Pharmacy; Dentistry, etc."
There would be twelve colleges, each with maximum 1 000 undergraduate students. The colleges would have classrooms, dining hall, common rooms and a student residence. They would have also serve as centres for athletic, social and extra-curricular programs, and "provide each student with a home on the campus, with a sense of identity with his own college, and with intimate contacts with fellow students and teachers."
There would be one main Library and auxiliary libraries across the campus.
Initial planning and design will be executed by the University Planners, Architects and Consulting Engineers (UPACE) group with Hideo Sasaki as special consultant, and Dr. Thomas Howarth as consultant Architect-Planner to the Board of Governors.
The Plan provided that the new campus would have six buildings ready in 1965 - 1966 to receive approximately 2 400 students in the fall. The buildings would include: the first of the 12 colleges, a food centre, a Science Building, a library, a large lecture hall auditorium, and a Central Utilities building. Funding would come from provincial grants and a public campaign for funds. The overall cost of the plan was estimated at $150 million.
Category: Administrative History - Institution.
Date: 1963 December 23.
Event: Atkinson College inaugurates an annual dinner to commemorate the birth of Mr. Joseph E. Atkinson.
Category: Cultural Life - University.
Source: Murray G. Ross, These five years, p. 48
Date: 1963 December 26.
Event: D. McCormack Smyth is appointed Dean of the Joseph E. Atkinson College, effective January 1, 1964. Professor John Conway is appointed Professor of the Division of Humanities and Master-Elect of the College to be opened on the large campus in 1966, effective July 1, 1964.
Category: Administrative History - Institution.
Source: "York University Board of Governors Dinner to celebrate the first ten years of York and to honour Dr. Murray G. Ross," Chronology. Presidents' papers. York University Archives; York University Gazette, 30 January 1964, p. 22.
FOUNDERS
Date: 1963 July 1.
People: The Board of Governors, 1963-1964
- The Hon. Robert H. Winters, Chairman
- Allen T. Lambert, Vice-Chairman
- Air Marshal W.A. Curtis, Chancellor
- Murray G. Ross, President
- Edgar G. Burton
- Mrs. John David Eaton
- R.F. Farquharson
- Frederick G. Gardiner
- Bertrand Gerstein
- John Gray
- W.C. Harris
- J. William Horsey
- W.F. James
- John D. Leitch
- The Hon. T. D'Arcy Leonard
- A.J. Little
- L.G. Lumbers
- William Mahoney
- David B.Mansur
- W.F. McLean
- John S. Proctor
- W.P. Scott
- Edwin H. Walker
Category: Administrative History - Government
Source: Murray Ross, These five years, Appendix B "The Board of Governors." p. 103; York University Calendar for the fourth Academic Year 1963-64, p.8
Date: 1963 July 1.
People: York University Administration, 1963-1964
- Murray G. Ross, President
- William W. Small, Comptroller and Secretary of the Board of Governors
- Arthur C. Johnson, Director of Campus Planning
- John K. Armour, Director of Physical Plant
- Thomas F. O'Connell, Director of Library Services
- Donald S. Rickerd, Registrar and Master of Wood Residence
- Dr. R.O. Earl, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science
- Professor Edward L. Pattulo, Associate Dean Faculty of Arts and Science
- Professor John T. Saywell, Associate Dean Faculty of Arts and Science
- Dr. George Tatham, Dean of Students
- Mr. Neil M. Morrison, Dean of the Joseph E. Atkinson College
- Mr. D. McCormack Smyth, Assistant to the President, Acting Dean of the Joseph E. Atkinson College (August - December 1963)
- Mrs. Alison K. Mitchell, Assistant to the Dean of the Joseph E. Atkinson College
- Mr. Howard Langille, Director of Recreation and Athletics and Assistant to the Dean of Students
- Wilfrid Sanders, Director of Information and Publications
- Dr. Dee G. Appley, Director of Psychological Services
Category: Administrative History - Government
Source: Murray Ross, These five years, Appendix D "The Faculty and Staff, " p.p. 113 - 114 ; York University Calendar for the fourth Academic Year 1963-64, pp.8-9
Introduction 1955-1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 and beyond - Bibliography