Title: G.W. Simpson fonds

Dates: 1930-1960 [1938-1957 (predominant)]

Extent: 38 cm of textual records

Biographical Sketch: Born in Chatsworth, Ontario on 24
March 1893, George Wilfred Simpson received his early
education in Owen Sound before taking up a homestead in
southern Saskatchewan. In 1915 he entered the University
of Saskatchewan and received a BA (1919) in English and
History. In 1920 he received an MA from the University
of Toronto. Simpson was able to attend the University of
London for postgraduate studies. He also did postgraduate
work at the University of Berlin (1931-1932), and in 1947
received an honourary doctorate from the Free Ukrainian
University in Munich, Germany. In 1959, Simpson was given
an LLD from the University of Saskatchewan. His teaching
career at the University of Saskatchewan started in 1922,
with an appointment as instructor in History. By 1928 he
had been promoted to full professor, and, in 1940, Simpson
was appointed head of the History Department, a position
he held until his retirement in 1958. Upon retirement,
Simpson was named Professor Emeritus. During his career
at the University of Saskatchewan, Simpson helped initiate
the department of Slavic studies, was the first Canadian
historian to learn Ukrainian, and edited the first history
of the Ukraine published in English. He helped shape the
policy of the Saskatchewan Archives Act and was the first
Provincial Archivist (1945-1948).
Simpson died in Saskatoon on 6 March 1969 at the age
of 75.

Digitized Material: The digitized material from the
G.W. Simpson fonds consists of files entitled “Ukrainian
files” regarding the Ukrainian community in Saskatoon
and University of Saskatchewan, 1930-1957; and material
relating to Simpson’s association with the Advisory
Committee on Co-operation in Canadian Citizenship
(Nationalities Branch), 1941-1960.

For a full description of the G.W. Simpson fonds search the databases of
Archives Canada and the Saskatchewan Archival Information Network (SAIN).