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Authority record
University of Calgary Archives

Chorny, Merron

  • UOFC
  • Person
  • 1922-

Merron Chorny was born in Ranfurly, Alberta on August 31st, 1922. He graduated from the Edmonton Normal School in 1942 but interrupted his undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving as a Flying Officer from 1943-1945. He later returned and received his Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta in 1947 and his Master of Education in 1949. Chorny was the principal of Grimshaw School from 1949-1958. He was accepted as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Alberta in 1958 on a program leading to his doctorate. In 1960 Chorny accepted a position at the University of Alberta, Calgary as an assistant professor in English Education.

Chorny played a leadership role in a number of teaching and education organizations and was responsible for several pioneering initiatives in improving instruction and the delivery of English programs. Chorny served on the Alberta Department of Education Junior High School Curriculum Committee and on the sub-committee for the marking of Grade 9 exams. He was publications editor of the English Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and was on the committee to study teaching loads. In 1964 he organized and was chair of the English Commandos, a group that worked within the structure of the English Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. The Commandos were teams of knowledgeable resource persons who offered one-day workshops in some area of teaching English, such as reading, composition, or poetry. The workshops provided an in-service approach to assisting teachers, and could take on the role of consultants for projects and other activities. As Vice-President of the English Council, Chorny was also invited to attend the International Conference on the Teaching of English held at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire in 1966. Chorny became President of the English Council in 1967.

In 1966, Chorny chaired a conference that discussed the formation of a Canadian Council of Teachers of English (CCTE). Chorny was active in the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), which had a North American agenda but was focussed primarily on education in the United States. Chorny believed that an organization focussed on Canadian English concerns and issues would be advantageous. The CCTE became a reality in 1967 with Chorny as the President of the Council.

Chorny wrote the Just English series of English textbooks; he also wrote Teacher as Learner, and Teacher as Researcher to encourage the further education of teachers of English. Chorny was also a firm believer in writing as an expression of self. He wrote many creative and fictional articles, several of which were later published, including the short story Obitiuary. He also wrote several pieces and had drafted the outlines of chapters for a larger work on the history and people of the Ranfurly area where he grew up.

Chorny retired from the University of Calgary in 1985 and was granted Professor Emeritus status.

Carter, David

  • UOFC
  • Person

The Very Reverend David John Carter was born April 6, 1934 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He received his BA from the University of Manitoba in 1958 and his L.Th from St. John's College, Winnipeg in 1960. From 1965 to 1969 he was the Anglican Chaplain to the University of Calgary, Mount Royal Junior College and SAIT. He served on the University of Calgary Senate from 1971 to 1977 and was a member of the Honorary Degree Committee and Chancellor's Nominating Committee (1974). Mr Carter was named the Dean of Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (Anglican) in June, 1969, the youngest Anglican Dean in the world.

Knudsen, Arthur W.

  • UOFC
  • Person

Arthur W. Knudsen was a professor of physics formerly of Washington, DC (in the 1950s), Geneva, Switzerland (ca. 1961), and Palo Alto, California (as of 1962). Professor Knudsen joined the staff in the Department of Physics at the University of Calgary as Senior Demonstrator ca. 1966 and remained until around 1984. His interest in precision modelling of reciprocating steam engines prompted the creation of these records.

Heymann, Frederick G.

  • UOFC
  • Person
  • 1900-1983

Frederick G. Heymann was born in Berlin on December 24, 1900. He studied history, philosophy, economics and sociology at the Universities of Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg and Frankfurt. He received his PhD from the University of Frankfurt in 1922 and spent two years on postgraduate work with Werner Sombart, an historian of modern capitalism.

Heymann started his journalism career in 1925 as the assistant economic policy editor for Frankfurter Zeitung, a highly regarded newspaper in pre-Hitler Germany. In 1932 he moved to Czechoslovakia as head of the Prague editorial office. Heymann’s writing came under increasing criticism from the German legation as being too friendly to the Czech people and to Czechoslovak policy. In 1935 the office was taken over by the Nazis and Heymann moved on to the Bohemia, a local daily paper of which he was editor, chief editorial writer and diplomatic correspondent. Both of these positions involved intensive diplomatic travel and study of the politics, economies and history of Eastern European countries.

Several members of the Bohemia’s editorial staff were arrested in March 1939; although Heymann was questioned, he was subsequently let go. With the help of Dr. Zdenek Schmoranz from the Press Department in the office of the Prime Minister, Heymann was able to leave the country with his family, arriving in England in July 1939. He expected to travel on to Australia but the outbreak of the war prevented him from doing so, and also contributed to his 10-week stay in an internment camp on the Isle of Man.

Heymann took classes to become proficient in English and was eventually employed in 1941 by the British Ministry of Information. He wrote and edited articles and became the military correspondent for Die Zeitung, a German language paper sponsored by the Ministry. In 1944 he was hired by the United States Office of War Information, a position that enabled him to travel to Germany as a civilian editor for the illustrated weekly Heute. At the end of the war, Heymann and his family emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York in July 1946.

Once in America, Heymann taught history at high schools and pursued his life-long passion of research and writing. His first book was published in 1955, a major work on John Žižka and the Hussite Revolution. Between 1956-1958 he was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey and then was Visiting Professor at the University of Iowa 1958-1959. He joined the University of Calgary in 1959 as an associate professor of history, later serving as Head of the Department. Heymann was widely acknowledged as an authority on Czech history and would publish numerous articles, chapters and books, including George of Bohemia, King of Heretics (1965) and Poland and Czechoslovakia (1966). He retired from the University of Calgary in 1973 and was granted Professor Emeritus status for his outstanding scholarship and service.

Heymann and his first wife Edith had two children, Ruth Bean and Frank. Edith died in 1966. Heymann married his second wife Dr. Lili Rabel from the Department of Linguistics, University of Calgary, in 1969. He died in 1983.

Aberhart, William

  • UOFC
  • Person
  • 1878-1943

William Aberhart was born on a farm near Kippen, Ontario on December 30, 1878 to William Aberhart Senior and Louisa Pepper. He attended Chatham Business College and received teacher training at the Mitchell Model School and the Ontario Normal School in Hamilton, Ontario. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1911. He taught in several schools in southern Ontario, becoming principal of the Central Public School in Brantford Ontario, before moving to Calgary in 1910. During his time in Brantford, Aberhart also preached in local churches and conducted Bible study classes. Although he grew up in a nominally Presbyterian household, Aberhart and his wife entered the Baptist faith when residing in Calgary. Between 1910 and 1915, Aberhart was principal of three public schools in Calgary: Alexandra, Mount Royal and King Edward. In 1915, he was appointed principal of Crescent Heights High School, a position that he held for twenty years. While in Calgary, he continued to preach in a number of churches and also held Bible study classes. In 1918 he founded the Calgary Prophetic Bible Conference to promote Bible study in Calgary. His sermons and teachings were so popular that the Palace Theatre had to be rented to accommodate all who wished to participate. In 1925, he started broadcasting Sunday afternoon lectures on the radio called the "Back to the Bible Hour". These biblical lectures drew listeners from across the Canadian prairies and the adjacent U.S. states. In 1927 he was appointed Dean of the newly organized Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute. This institute served as a centre of worship and biblical studies, and also produced Aberhart's radio broadcasts. During this time, he was often known as "Bible Bill," in reference to his religious preaching. Aberhart became interested in politics in the 1930s as a result of the Great Depression. He particularly was interested in the 'social credit' theories of Scottish engineer Major C.H. Douglas which addressed the "discrepancy between the costs of production and the purchasing power of individuals." He founded the Social Credit League and began lobbying the Alberta government, held by the United Farmers of Alberta, to adopt some of the social credit policies. When this attempt failed, Aberhart organized Alberta's Social Credit League and the party won the 1935 Alberta provincial election by a landslide. Aberhart himself had not been a candidate in the election, but because he was the leader of the Social Credit League, he was proclaimed Premier of Alberta. He won a by-election in the electoral district of Okotoks-High River two months after being proclaimed Premier. From 1935-1943, Aberhart held the portfolios of Minister of Education and Attorney General. After the general election of 1940, Aberhart represented the multi-member electoral district of Calgary. During his tenure as Premier, Aberhart and the Social Credit government were successful in legislating its "prosperity certificate" program and also in making changes to Alberta's educational system and labour laws. They also established oil and gas conservation practices and provincial marketing boards. However, the Social Credit policies were not fully realized - attempts to change legislation pertaining to the administration of banks or operation of the newspapers in the province were unsuccessful. Although three bills were passed to amend legislation, the Supreme Court of Canada and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled these bills unconstitutional. William Aberhart married Jessie Flatt of Galt, Ontario in 1902 and had two daughters, Ola Janet and Khona Louise. He died suddenly on May 23, 1943 while in Vancouver, British Columbia. A high school in Calgary and a long-term care facility in Edmonton are named in his honour.

Doucette, A.L.

  • UOFC
  • Person

Andrew Leo Doucette, 1900-1974, was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. After receiving a BSc degree in Civil Engineering from Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Technical College ca.1917-1920, he taught in rural Alberta schools and received his teaching certificate from the Edmonton Normal School in 1923. He continued teaching in Alberta, including at the Edmonton Normal School (1929-1932, 1940) and the Calgary Normal School (1938-1940), and was Rural School Inspector at Vegreville (ca.1932-1936). He also served in the Canadian Army from 1940-1946, attaining the rank of major. He received an MA degree from the University of Alberta in 1940, and a Doctorate in Education from Stanford University in 1947. He then served as Head of the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, Calgary Branch and the Director of University of Alberta, Calgary from 1947-1960. From 1960-1961 he was Associate Dean of Education at University of Alberta, Calgary. He received a Doctor of Laws degree at The University of Calgary's first convocation after autonomy. During his years as an administrator, he worked strenuously to establish an autonomous University of Calgary. He also chaired or was a member of several education committees and conferences including the Western Canadian Conference on Teacher Education. He and his wife, Violet Thelen, had three children, Frank, Marjorie and Kay.

Rothney Astrophysical Observatory

  • UOFC
  • Corporate body
  • 1970-present

The impetus for the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) was initiated by Mr. Alexander (Sandy) Rothney Cross in December 1970 when he offered to donate a quarter section of land near Priddis, Alberta to the University. The Capital Resources Policy Committee passed a motion in June 1971 to proceed with a tree farm, animal farm and observatory on the land (the tree and animal farms never came to fruition). At Cross’s request, the observatory was named the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory to honour his mother’s side of the family. The site was officially opened in January 1972 by Dr. Margaret Burbidge, then Director of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, who unveiled the RAO’s sundial to symbolize the emergence of the University of Calgary onto the astronomical scene.

Cyril Challice, the Head of the Department of Physics, gave the initial planning of the site to Dr. T. Alan Clark who was joined in September 1971 by Dr. Eugene F.Milone; the two would become co-directors of the facility in 1975 and oversee its modest beginnings to a million-dollar research destination. The equipment first used was a 16 inch (.4 m) research grade telescope ordered by Clark from England with the initial photometer instrumentation obtained from the University of Virginia. This early photometer was modified over the years to become the Rapid Alternate Detection System (RADS), a system developed at the University of Calgary that allows for precision photometry through light cloud and that can adjust for variations in urban light reflections.

In the early 1980s, a Baker-Nunn satellite tracking camera was purchased for $.01 from the Cold Lake Air Force Base and transported to the RAO where it was installed in 1983. At the same time, Dr. George Coyne, then Director of the observatory at the Lunar and Planetary Lab in Tucson facilitated the acquisition of a 1.5 m metal mirror for the RAO. This became the basis of a $198,000 grant to build an alt-alt mounting for an infrared telescope to permit unblocked views of the entire sky and allow observations at the zenith where atmospheric distortion is minimal. The Cross Educational Foundation provided the funds for a building to house the apparatus and a dedication ceremony for the new 1.5 m, 8 tonne infrared telescope (IRT) was held on May 6, 1987. Dr. George Coyne, S.J., now Director of the Vatican Observatory, dedicated the telescope; Mr. Cross officially cut the ribbon. The telescope was renamed the ARCT or the Alexander Rothney Cross telescope to honour Sandy Cross who had donated more land and significant additional funding over the years. At the time, the RAO was Canada’s only dedicated infrared telescope facility, with its advantage of altitude and extreme dry air conditions that allowed for clear observations.

The 1.5 m mirror was replaced in 1993 by a new generation 1.8 m honeycomb mirror created in the Optical Sciences Centre of the University of Arizona. The Astrophysical Research Consortium at the Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico had offered in the late 1980s to fund ½ the costs of polishing the mirror in return for its short-term usage. Dr. Alan Clark developed the design for the mounting and oversaw its construction; first light was achieved through the newly upgraded 1.8 m telescope in January, 1996. A year later, the RAO celebrated its 25th anniversary.

In 2001, Dr. Milone submitted a grant to build a Visitor’s Centre at the site in order to expand outreach and teaching capabilities. The $400,000 submission was successful; the new Visitor’s Centre and teaching facility was official opened in 2005. Dr. Milone stepped down as Director of the RAO on September 1, 2004. Dr. Rene Plume became Acting Director for a year until Philip Langill was named Director.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Local 52

  • uofc

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees represents a large number of government and board employees throughout the province. For administrative purposes, AUPE designates each department or unit a local number. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Local 52 is the sole bargaining agent for The University of Calgary support staff and was formed by an enactment of the Alberta legislature on June 14, 1976. Previously, The University of Calgary's support staff were served by the Civil Service Association of Alberta. Local 52 is autonomous within the structure of AUPE and bargains independently within AUPE's constitution. The Local consists of over 2000 salaried and casual members and is administered by four chapters which each elect an executive to look after the chapter's interest. Local 52's chapters are Operational/Administrative, General, Specialist/Advisor, and Trades/Technical. These chapters reflect the job families staff are classified under. Representatives to Local 52 Council are elected by the chapters, and the Local executive is elected from among the members of the Council.

Carrothers, Alfred W.R.

  • uofc

Alfred William Rooke Carrothers (1924-1998) was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on June 1, 1924. He took his undergraduate education at the University of British Columbia, receiving a BA in 1947 and an LLB in 1948. He then attended Harvard Law School and earned an LLM in 1951 and a Doctorate of Juridical Science in 1966. Carrothers joined the Faculty of Law at UBC as a lecturer in 1948 and became a full professor in 1960. In 1964 he became Dean, Faculty of Law at the University of Western Ontario, and in 1969 was appointed President of The University of Calgary, a position he held until 1974. He was involved in numerous learned societies and public service groups including serving as president of the Association of Canadian Law Teachers (1966-1967) and as chair of the Advisory Committee on the Development of Government in the North West Territories (1965-1966). He and his wife, Jane, had three children. Alfred W. R. Carrothers died on May 4, 1998 in Victoria, British Columbia at the age of 73.

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