Chronology - 1950s

1959

J. Wesley Graham arrived at Waterloo College as a lecturer in the mathematics department. Previously he had been the head of the Applied Science Division at IBM, a department that had more than 100 employees. As a former student of Ralph Stanton's at the University of Toronto, he was recruited to Waterloo by Stanton. At the time, Graham hoped to lessen his involvement in computing and devote himself to teaching. As it turned out, Graham's determination to take computing to undergraduate students became a hallmark of the Waterloo experience and led to the creation of software that overnight made Waterloo internationally recognized, while Graham's contacts in the area of computing enhanced the new university's reputation and its acceptance in this rapidly developing field.

Wes Graham was determined to make computing available to all undergraduates at Waterloo.

The Physics and Mathematics building, the second on the new university campus, greeted new faculty members and students in September 1959, but it was not officially opened until February 10th, 1960. Waterloo's first computer was installed in this building.

Ralph Stanton established a program of Graduate Studies in Mathematics with the beginning of the university. The first degree awarded in 1960 was to Ronald Mullin, an MA in the Faculty of Arts in Mathematics.

A later photo of Ron Miller, Scott Vairstou???

(L) Ron Mullin and (R) Scott Vanstone. Private Collection.

The home of UW's first computer in 1960.

UW Archives, Shore, Tilbe.

President Hagey, Ira Needes and EWR Steachie at the opening of the Physics and Mathematics building. It is doubtful that they could have anticipated the dramatic growth of computing at Waterloo or of the University's unique Faculty of Mathematics. 79-0018-11, UW Special Colections.

Waterloo was one of the first Canadian Universities to apply computer modelling in its Faculty of Engineering.

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