The Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo traces its roots to the institution’s formative years in the late 1950s. Initially, the University did not plan to establish a dedicated arts faculty. Instead, it anticipated that arts instruction would be provided by Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University), which was expected to affiliate with the University alongside St. Jerome’s College.[1] However, disagreements over governance, particularly concerning control of the arts program and representation on the University Senate, led Waterloo College to decline the proposed affiliation. In response, the University of Waterloo made the pivotal decision to create its own Faculty of Arts.[2]

This decision culminated in the formal announcement of the Faculty of Arts in May 1960.[3] President Dr. Gerald Hagey appointed Dr. W. Keith Thomas as acting dean, entrusting him with the task of building the faculty and recruiting academic staff. Under Dr. Thomas’s leadership, four departments were established: Mathematics, chaired by Dr. Ralph Stanton; History, led by Dr. Paul Cornell; German and Russian, headed by Dr. J.W. Dyck; and English, directed by Dr. Thomas himself. Historical records indicate that the Faculty employed approximately 22 academic staff members in its first year, with more than half serving in the Mathematics department.[4]

To support students enrolling in the new arts program, the University’s Senate Committee on Scholarships introduced ten scholarships, each valued at $1,650.[5] The Faculty welcomed its first cohort of students in the fall of 1960, with lectures beginning on September 26. Between 54 and 58 students enrolled that year, paying an annual sessional fee of $413, which covered tuition, health insurance, student activities, and a contribution to the Student Union Building fund.

In its inaugural year, the Faculty of Arts faced significant infrastructure challenges. There was no dedicated arts building, administrative space, or arts library. At the time, the campus library consisted of a single room on the third floor of the Mathematics and Physics building. These limitations eventually spurred the construction of key facilities, including the Modern Languages building, completed in 1962, and the Dana Porter Library, which opened in 1965.[6]

Within the first year, Dr. Thomas stepped down as acting dean to focus on chairing the English department. Dr. Norman H. High succeeded him as acting dean for the 1961–62 academic year and was formally confirmed in the role in fall 1962. This leadership transition marked a new phase of expansion for the Faculty, which soon added departments such as Sociology, Romance Languages, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, Classics, and Geography. A major structural change occurred on January 1, 1967, when Mathematics officially separated to form its own faculty.[7]

From its modest beginnings, the Faculty of Arts has evolved into a vibrant and diverse academic community, bringing together students, faculty, and staff engaged in the humanities, social sciences, and fine, performing, and media arts at the University of Waterloo.