Campus: Life and Times as a University of Waterloo Student

Campus, life and times. A digital exhibit compiled by co-op student Katie Turriff, Fall 2018.

University of Waterloo traces its first roots back to 1911, when the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada was established to train Lutheran pastors. In 1914, the Seminary expanded with the creation of Waterloo College School, which included faculties for pre-theological studies. This school developed into the Waterloo College of Arts in 1924 and then Waterloo College, and degrees were granted through an affiliation with University of Western Ontario. Waterloo College developed into what is now Wilfrid Laurier University. What became University of Waterloo initially broke off in 1956 when the Waterloo College Associate Faculties was established as a semi-autonomous entity of Waterloo College. It was created to provide the city of Waterloo with improved educational facilities that particularly focused on scientific and engineering related fields, while Waterloo College focused on the arts. In 1957, University of Waterloo’s modern history finally kicked off with its first classes beginning in a hot July. Later in 1959, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed the University of Waterloo Act and it formally separated from Waterloo College with its own degree granting power. This exhibit explores the campus life of University of Waterloo students from the years 1957 - 2000.

The University's first Engineering class started in a hot July of 1957, when campus' official classroom buildings hadn't even been completed. The 74 students started their studies in sweltering tin-roofed temporary buildings, sometimes going to class in just underwear to beat the heat! To the right is a scan of a page from the first edition of a 'Welcome to Waterloo' booklet given to successful applicants, and shows a list of supplies for an engineering drawing class and their prices.

In an informational pamphlet published by Waterloo College and Associate Faculties in approximately 1958, the engineering co-op process is explained to potential future students.

Aerial view of the site of Waterloo College and Associate Faculties, June 20, 1958. Drawn by Shore and Moffat Architects, Toronto. Where the College residences were planned is now part of Waterloo park. Where Seagram Stadium is drawn is now a parking lot - Seagram Stadium was built on the South corner of Seagram Drive and Albert Street. "Dearborn Street" is now University Avenue.

Buildings in yellow were complete, and buildings in a dash-outline were either incomplete or planned. Note that both Ring Road and Westmount Road were not yet completely built!

In this map we see a 'Phillip Street Building,' which later becomes East Campus Hall, home of the Fine Arts program's facilities.

We see in this map of campus during the year 2000 so many of the buildings we know and love. Some are still missing - can you name them all?

Below is a map of Village 1 in 1966, the year it opened. The parking lot to the left would become Village 2, later renamed Ron Eydt Village. Village 1 is the focus of this exhibit's Residence section.

These pages are from a student's Village 1 handbook from 1966. Apparently there was a dress code for attending dinner, and women received specific instructions for curfews and overnight absences.

Below is a map of Village 1 and Ron Eydt Village - then called Village 2 - in 1971. Where 'Parking Lot F' is will be Mackenzie King Village later in 2001. Another change between this map and the map of Village 1 in 1966 is the amalgamation of the 3 dining halls into 1.

Just for fun, a relic that seems very indicative of its time: a very detailed noise complaint notice of excessive stereo volume in the summer of 1980.

Waterloo Athletics was born in 1957 with the University's beginnings. Before adopting the Warriors identity in 1960, Waterloo athletes were known as the Mules (pictured here at a football game in 1959) and Mulettes, a name that is rooted in Waterloo's history as an affiliate of University of Western Ontario (branded as Western University). Because University of Waterloo (then Waterloo College Associate Faculties) was an affiliate, athletes were the Mules and Mulettes to Western's Mustangs prior to the official creation of the University of Waterloo. Until 1981, Waterloo Athletics and Campus Recreation were maintained by what is now the Applied Health Sciences faculty when it was a department. In 1981, the University took over the management of its sports and recreation as the AHS faculty was growing with new programs and greater enrollment.

The Warriors branding was only attributed to men throughout most of its history; women were known as the Athenas until 1997. During that year, they were adopted as Warriors and the Warriors became the main brand for any and every University of Waterloo athlete. The Athenas themselves have an interesting history; they were known as the 'Bananas' from 1960 - 1968. This moniker reflected the colour and style of the uniforms they were - a gold, one piece outfit. The mocking nature of the name was also fuelled by the generally unfavourable perception of womens' sports at the time. In 1968, the Athenas name was adopted to replace the Bananas and to complement the Warriors identity; this was a name that represented wisdom, strategy, and war, and helped legitimize women's varsity sports at the University. Pictured here is a photo of the Athenas basketball team in 1975.

In student handbooks that were published around 1960, you could find the cheers for everyone's favourite Warriors teams.

Students work in the Electrical Engineering Lab, supervised by Roy Anthes, winter 1961. Credit to Roy Purkis. The Engineering Society publishes an agreeable definition of an engineer for their 1970 - 1971 handbook.

Engineering students on their floats during a football parade on October 15, 1960. The top float's banner says 'On the Job / The Cooperative Engineer / in the Class' and the bottom float's banner says '2A Engineering.' Photographed by Marjorie Barber. Right: a humorous and relatable map of campus published by the Engineering Society for the cover of their 1998 handbook.

A page from a Faculty of Mathematics 1981-1982 student handbook gives some useful tips. Students studying in the physics and mathematics common room in 1962. A shot of the central processing unit or 'Red Room' of Mathematics and Computers, taken September 1970 (credit to University of Waterloo Graphics).

A page from a 1979 promotional booklet advertising programs in the Mathematics faculty describes potential careers for successful graduates. A woman types on a machine in the Red Room of Mathematics and Computers, no date.

A page from an informational booklet on the Faculty of Arts in 1960 describes admission requirements and associated fees. An 'artsie' poses happily with her t-shirt, no date (but presumably around 1978).

A schedule of what looks to be an entertaining frosh week for Arts frosh in September of 1989, complete with time reserved for a nap. Please note the term "scunt refers to a mash-up of the words 'scavenger' and 'hunt.' A picture of a sleek study space for arts students in the Arts Library (Dana Porter) in 1965 (photography credit goes to David G Harris). The Modern Languages lobby - no date.

An informational booklet about a general science degree pilot project from 1984 briefly describes its success. A student works in a biology lab in 1976. A dinosaur owns its space in the Earth Sciences Museum, 1992.

A Faculty of Science booklet from 1994 outlines frosh activities with the help of Cat in the Hat. Students sit in a science lab in 1959. Graphics taken from a promotional pamphlet the University published to announce new science buildings, 1965.

An Environment and Resource Studies calendar from 1986 interestingly showcases the lives of its students. Bottom-left graphic displays divisional space relationships studied when planning how space in environment buildings are to be used among its programs, 1972. Students work on a design in their planning studio, 1983. Right: a graphic from the cover page of a textbook for PLAN 159, Graphics for Planning showcases a busy city, no date.

A student receives instruction in an Environment computer lab, 1982. A visualization of data shows what environment students use which buildings and how often, publish in 1972 for a study on environment programs and building use. 'Man-env' is short for Man-Environment Studies, which later became Environment and Resource Studies (now Environment, Resources, and Sustainability Studies).

Two students assist each other in understanding body mechanics, no date. Graphics taken from an Applied Health Sciences faculty brochure, no date. A page from an Applied Health Sciences faculty brochure lists term classes, no date.

A page from an undergraduate student handbook published in 1982 for 'Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies' students (what used to be the name for Applied Health Sciences) interestingly displays the many academic options for students. A student studies another student's abilities while on a stationary bike, no date.

Federation of Students was incorporated on April 27th, 1967 as the undergraduate student union at the University. It has been involved with many political, financial, and social discussions with University administration since its inception. The Student Life Centre, once known as the Campus Centre, is Feds' homebase. Pictured here is a temporary building holding Feds' facilities and services before the Campus Centre opened in 1969.

One Feds service is assisting with the development of Orientation Week. The schedule and tough regulations pictured here give an idea of what O-Week was like in 1967 (featuring a Gordon Lightfoot concert).

Naturally, Feds inspires school spirit on campus. Pictured here: 'The Black and White and Gold - a School Song for Waterloo,' published in their student handbook for 1973-1974, and a photo of frosh students arranged to spell 'U of W' sometime during the 90s on BMH Green.

Feds is also responsible for maintaining official campus clubs and associations. This section from a student handbook published for the 1973-1974 school year shows some interesting clubs. The Tiddlywinks and Wives clubs were very popular in their time.

Another service Feds assists with is the Bombshelter Pub, located in the Student Life Centre (or, as it was called in 1973 when this map was published, the Campus Centre). This ad for the Bombshelter Pub or 'Bomber' was published in 1980 in the Imprint. In 2019. Bomber will close for spacial revitalization and student experience enhancement.* *This description was written when the exact nature of the future of Bomber / the Bomber space was unclear.

The Coryphaeus was the first official student newspaper, first published on November 4, 1960. Its name and brand was changed to The Chevron in 1966.

The Chevron was the prime campus news source for University of Waterloo students from 1966-1978, and it was free of charge. In 1976, there was conflict between Feds and The Chevron's staff, and this conflict lasted until 1978 when Feds established referendums to seek student input. These referendums resulted in a new paper, The Imprint, which was officially recognized as the new student news source in 1979.

During conflict between The Chevron and the Federation of Students, as well as for some years after The Imprint had been established, some staff of The Chevron produced a 'free' Chevron paper in protest of conflict interrupting the 'real' Chevron.

The Imprint is the current main student newspaper on campus. It is available in print and digitally for free.

...Occasionally, Imprint staff would parody their paper to keep student news a little more interesting.

All materials used in this digital exhibit are located in the University of Waterloo Archives. If you are interested in browsing more University of Waterloo related material, or to see our many other collections, please visit the archives on the first floor of Dana Porter Library! We are open 8:30 - 12:00 and 1:00 - 4:00 from Monday to Friday. Katie Turriff, Fall 2018