A Look Back Over 50 Years - by Dean Blythe Eagles

As we celebrate Canada's Centennial, several of our agricultural associations in British Columbia are observing their Golden Anniversaries. In honouring these events we are paying homage to those who made them possible the pioneers who laid the foundations for our achievements of the past half century.

The Faculty of Agriculture of The University of British Columbia is celebrating this fall the 50th anniversary of the admission of its first students. In June of this year along with its sister Faculty of Forestry it will move into a new building complex. This structure will house under one roof the classrooms, offices, laboratories and seminar, study and common rooms and other facilities required by both Faculties. It will mark a milestone in Canadian education for the faculties devoted to the renewable resources of Agriculture and Forestry, whereby they will be enabled and encouraged to work together in common pursuits, and at the same time maintain their individuality and integrity.

For fifty years the Faculty of Agriculture has carried forward and been responsible for the University program in agricultural education for the young men and women of the province, of Canada, and more recently, for those coming to us from developing countries. Educational opportunities in Agriculture have been increased through the years until now the Doctorate degree is offered in several disciplines of agricultural science. As the Faculty looks forward and faces the challenge of the future, it is well that we take time to review briefly and contemplate its past achievements.

It was first established in 1914 when President Wesbrook invited Dr L S Klinck, Professor of Cereal Husbandry at Macdonald College, to become its first Dean. As he undertook the task of bringing together a Faculty and of formulating its curriculum, Dr Klinck travelled widely throughout the province learning at first hand something of the diversified nature of its agriculture, something of its problems, and of its needs from an educational point of view. Dean Klinck admitted the first two classes in Agriculture. When he became President of the University after the untimely passing of President Wesbrook, he was succeeded by Dean F M Clement who served as Dean for thirty years.

It has been my privilege as his successor to have to undertaken this task for a period of 18 years

Our Graduates
To date 46 classes have graduated from the Faculty. As the data recorded in the Tables show, 1525 students have completed the undergraduate curriculum receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. It is of interest to note that 174 (10.8%) of those graduating have been women a much higher percentage than in any other Faculty of Agriculture in Canada. For 1010 of these graduates (66.2%) the BSA degree marked the termination of their formal education; 262 (17.2%) have proceeded to the Master's degree, 175 (11.5%) have continued beyond the Master's or proceeded directly to the Doctorate of Philosophy degree; 32 (2.4%) have proceeded to other doctorates, the majority to the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine; 46 (3%) have proceeded to other undergraduate degrees including Education, Commerce, Law, Arts and Theology.

Table 1. Degrees awarded in the Faculty 1917-67

The Master's degree of this University has been awarded to 307 students who have carried out their theses under the direction of members of the Faculty of Agriculture. Seven students have similarly obtained their doctorates. The proportion of women receiving their Master's degree (10.1%) and the doctorate (28.5%) is noteworthy. The relatively uniform distribution of those obtaining advanced degrees in the various disciplines available within the Faculty is indicative of the diversified and specialized nature of our Agriculture. It should be noted that 73 of those receiving graduate degrees in Agriculture from The University of British Columbia obtained their undergraduate education at other institutions. Other institutions have awarded 241 graduate degrees to students who took their undergraduate work in Agriculture at UBC.

It is of particular interest to note that since its formation in 1946 as a department serving a dual purpose in the two faculties of Agriculture and Applied Science the members of the Departments of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanics in addition to their responsibility, with respect to students graduating or pursuing graduate studies in Agricultural Mechanics have awarded the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science to 38 students in the field of Agricultural Engineering.

In addition to carrying on its work at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which has been its major responsibility, with a total of 1877 students receiving their degrees from the University, the faculty since 1926 has offered the Diploma Course in Agriculture and during the 40 year period 370 students, including 35 women (9.5%), have availed themselves of the opportunities it has afforded. Many leaders in agriculture throughout the province are counted among its graduates.

In the design of the academic program developed by the Faculty the student has always been placed first in its thinking. Its foremost objective has been the encouragement of intellectual curiosity in students and the inculcation in them of an assumption of responsibility for their own further intellectual development. The great diversity of their individualities, interests and motivations has been recognized. The Faculty has always acknowledged three important aspects of University work the advancement of knowledge, with emphasis on original investigations; the training of men and women professionally; and the enrichment of their lives. Elaboration of any of these matters is beyond the scope of this article, of which the simple purpose is to convey some idea of the accomplishments of the Faculty of Agriculture in giving to its graduates the understanding which has enabled them to achieve the well merited recognition they have received as they have made their contributions in a great diversity of endeavors, for the most part closely related to agriculture itself.

What are the graduates doing?
Table 2 shows that of 1598 students receiving their degrees from the Faculty of Agriculture 131 (8.2%) have been engaged in primary agricultural production embracing a wide range of specialized activities carried on chiefly in British Columbia. A number of our graduates are farming in other provinces of Canada and in the United States. Two hundred and fifty-five graduates (16.6%) are engaged in industries closely allied to and identified with agriculture, 189 (11.8%) are engaged in governmental research activities, chiefly in Canada, but a number occupy high posts in foreign countries. The largest group of graduates (346) is to be found in the administrative, regulatory and extension branches of government at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, 206 (12.9%) are engaged in University teaching and research, 105 (6.6%) have entered upon other teaching duties principally in this province at the Secondary School level.

The most diversified group and the second largest, 295 graduates (18.4%) are engaged in other activities, some strictly personal and all difficult to classify. Many of them occupy outstanding posts in various aspects of the communications media, in the diplomatic service and in industry unrelated or only indirectly related to agriculture, but nonetheless not without significance to the advancement of agriculture. No trace can be found of 71 graduates (4.4%).

Where have the graduates established themselves?
Table 2 reveals that 64.3% of those granted degrees by the Faculty have remained in British Columbia, 16.3% in other parts of Canada, 9.2% in the United States, 5.8% in other countries, and 4.4% are unknown as to residence. It is of interest, but not surprising, to find that of those who have gone to the United States 64% have taken advanced degrees, 52.3% of those who have migrated to other parts of Canada have achieved graduate degrees, whereas of those who have found their life's work in BC only 22.9% have sought and obtained advanced degrees.

Table 2. Where did the graduates go?

What of the future?
In this review it would be meaningless to project our era into the future, acknowledging as we do that the limits of knowledge are continually expanding. "The understanding and respect of each generation must be earned anew". In this statement. Kellogg and Knapp in their recent monograph on Agricultural Education pass on the torch to those who are about to graduate in 1967 and to those who will follow them. This is their immediate task their education as was that of their fellow students of 50 years ago is now really only beginning. May their accomplishments be as great as those of the graduates of the Faculty during its first fifty years.

Edited version of article by Dean Blythe Eagles in Country Life in British Columbia, March 30, 1967.

R Blair 2002