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Walter Harris fonds
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Agriculture and Forestry

Agriculture and Forestry subseries contains seventeen files regarding the planning and teaching of a new course at the University of Alberta, AGFOR 300 & 400. This course, called "Man and Resources," was co-taught with WE Harris and several other lectures. Harris’ lecture topics focused on energy, the use of resources and population. Materials date from ca. 1970-1979 with course planning materials dating from as far back as 1961. Document types include notes, index cards, lecture outlines, correspondence, course content, course reviews, student essays, test questions, assignments, articles and research on energy and resources. As well there are two u-matic video tapes, and an audiotape of lectures. Significant material covered planning materials for the class, Harris lecture “Three Critical Resources” as well as course materials such as assignments, tests, essays and lectures.

Alberta Environment Hazardous Waste Management Committee

The Alberta Environment Hazardous Waste Management Committee subseries consists of twenty-eight files on the management of hazardous waste, often in connection with the Alberta Special Waste Management Corporation (ASWMC). The files are arranged by subject matter with most media separated from textual materials. Document types include minutes, reports, notes, correspondence, presentations, news articles, slides, a 16mm film, and a VHS videocassette. Materials are created between 1979 and 1999. Specific topics focus on PCBs & Dioxins, Hazardous Waste Management, and Risk Assessment.
The Ministry of Alberta Environment appointed a Hazardous Waste Management Committee on September 14, 1979. It was composed of three civil servants and three members of the public, one of whom was Harris. The committee’s task was to classify materials of concern, including who produced them and where they were being produced. The results were compiled into a report on Hazardous Waste Management in Alberta. It recommended that an integrated waste treatment system be established in Alberta with the Alberta Government playing a leadership role in the program. Harris’ main contribution was the section entitled “Concepts of Hazards, Toxicity and Risk”, focusing on the assessment of risks. In order to study successful hazardous waste management facilities, the committee visited plants all over Europe. Public talks were held throughout the Province of Alberta, mostly by Harris, to educate the people in hopes of finding a host for the proposed treatment facility. Ryley and Swan Hills were publicly accepted by their communities to host the treatment facility. Swan Hills was chosen as the location and on December 31, 1985 Harris resigned from the committee.

Biographical

The records in this series present an overview of the life of Walter Edgar Harris. They contain highlights of his career and important contributions to the scientific community. The materials are arranged by subject with some of the media separated from their respective subjects. This series focuses on his time spent as a student, professor, scholar and administrator/committee member. A significant portion of the material includes recognition of his academic achievements in the form of awards, celebratory letters, and opening statements. There are also feature articles with brief summaries of Harris’s academic life, personal biographical writings and two of his yearbooks from university. The documents are primarily textual with a few photographs and a large number of 35mm slides. Other document types include examination questions and notes for various courses Harris had taken as a student, essays, lists of expenses, diplomas, birthday cards, newspaper clippings, biographical notes and correspondence regarding awards. These records were created between 1929 and 2011 with one slide from Harris’ public school from 1919. Harris collected and compiled the materials, complete with a personal history and extensive notes. Harris’s personal accounts include reflections on his early life, graduate school, career, committees and late life interest in the game of bridge. It also includes his personal thoughts on marriage, science, religion, his brother Raymond, uranium, and energy, among other subjects.

Bridge

The Bridge subseries is composed of five files regarding Harris’ serious hobby in the card game of bridge. The subseries was compiled ca 1990 to 2011 and the arrangement is based upon the original order in which the donor presented the items. WE Harris competed in many bridge competitions. He also taught and wrote about bridge lessons for beginners, typically with HB (Brian) Dunford. The document types include advertisements, correspondence, notes, and books. Specific topics include the books: “Bridge: Direct, Simple & Winning” and “Bridge”, as well as, supporting notes.

Chemistry

(Chem 312, 511, 519, 303 etc.)
The Chemistry subseries includes twenty-eight files connected to the teaching of analytical chemistry lectures and the development of Harris’ laboratories. The subseries is arranged by subject matter and ranges in date from 1951 to 1997. Although Harris taught a number of chemistry classes his most notable is his Chem 312 “Quantitative Analysis” course. This comprised a two-term introductory chemical analysis course with an extensive practical laboratory component. Document types include correspondence, notes, articles and reports on teaching and cost of running classes, as well as student evaluations with comments, thank you letters, greeting cards, course guide, lecture cards, class schedules, class tests, and class records. There are also 35mm lecture slides and lantern slides as well as transparencies. It also includes an audiotape of Harris’ last lecture to Chemistry 312 and some photographs. A large portion of the material contains early stages in the development of WE Harris' Chemistry 58 and 312 laboratory manuals, along with revisions written by Harris. Chem 58 was the forerunner to Chemistry 312. Other materials include the development of Chemistry 312 laboratory manual that was worked on with Dr Byron (Ron) Kratchovil from the Chemistry Department.

Also see accession 1981-177 “Department of Chemistry Notes”, for additional information on the costs involved with the analytical chemistry course Chemistry 312 as well as additional research notebooks.

Committees

The Committees series covered Walter Harris’ years spent as a member of three significant committees. The series was divided into three subseries according to these committees: the Technical Advisory Committee, Alberta Environment Hazardous Waste Management Committee and President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Review. Materials date from 1973 to 2009 and were arranged by subject matter. Large topics are chronologically arranged with most media separated from textual materials. This series has a number of document types including correspondence, minutes of meetings, notes, index cards, reviews, articles, reports, research, letters, claims, expenses, photographs, brochures, thoughts and interviews by Harris. It further includes an array of slides, a 16mm film and a VHS videocassette . Harris mentioned that each committee involved “working with new people, travelling and tackling interesting problems”.

Correspondence

The Correspondence series consists of correspondence of Walter E Harris. This series is divided into two subseries; professional and personal correspondence. The materials were created between 1943 and 2011. They are arranged by subject matter or grouped by significant correspondent. Document types include letters, notes, newspaper clippings, reference letters, photographs, and reports.

History of the Department of Chemistry

This series contains fourteen files on the history of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta and of Analytical Chemistry in Canada. The materials range in date from 1931 to 2009, and predominantly after 1996. It covers information about key individuals at the University of Alberta such as Osmand James Walker, SG Davis, Harry Gunning and HB (Brian) Dunford. A significant portion of the material is related to Harris’ book entitled “Department of Chemistry History and a Memoir”. Other materials include graduands and staff listings, as well as information on the new Chemistry building and teaching loads. It also includes University of Alberta “Evergreen & Gold” yearbooks that predate WE Harris’ time at the University. Document types include photographs, slides, notes, lists, books, correspondence, memos, memoirs, booklets and articles. Also see Archives Accession 2012-27-236 for a few slides featuring the Chemistry building under construction and newly built.

Personal Correspondence

Harris’ Personal Correspondence is comprised of seven files. The files are arranged by subject and chronologically ordered. Document types include correspondence, notes and photographs ranging from 1983 to 2011. The content includes correspondence with professional colleagues, Charlie and Betty Carr, Bill, Margaret and Gretchen Harris as well as family members and various other friends. Most of the personal correspondence occurs after 1992, when Harris’ wife Phyllis died.

President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Review

The President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Review (PACCR) subseries contains fifteen files connected to the committee. Materials are arranged by subjects and date predominantly from 1980 to 1990. It includes outlying data from 1973 and retrospective letters from 2008 and 2009. Subject matter highlighted include correspondence within PACCR, talks on Campus Reviews, an article titled “Systematic Reviews of University Programs and Units”, workload information and PACCR Reports. This subseries contains document types such as correspondence, index cards, reports, minutes of meetings, notes, articles, compiled data, and a binder of research data. Also see Archives accession 2012-27-6 “Submissions to the Millennium Project” and 2012-27-7 “Three Minicareers” for Harris’ personal reflections on his activities with PACCR.
The President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Review (PACCR), briefly named President’s Advisory Committee on Academic Review (PACAR), was a steering committee intended to organize reviews of academic and service units. President Horowitz appointed WE Harris as Chairman of the Committee in 1980, subsequent to his retirement from the Department of Chemistry. The steering committee members were: Dr F Enns, Dr H Kreisel, WH Jopling and Dr W Harris. The committee’s initial responsibility was to plan how to conduct reviews and determine the review process. PACCR’s goal was to find areas of improvement and create a plan that would implement bettering changes through the university. It was a committee with little authority but managed to review units through a process of volunteering, negotiations or arrangement. Each unit under review formed a Unit Review Committee (URC) to keep dialogue with PACCR and to perform the self study. Each URC was made up of four members; two external to the university from the discipline being reviewed, one internal member from a related discipline and one internal member from the university. The final review was composed of a self study report, nominations of reviewers and an on-site review by a review team, a confidential reviewers report, URC’s response to this report and follow up documentation. PACCR summarized the findings and proposed changes and subsequently met with the head of the unit and Dean of the department for discussion. After the follow up, the committee would meet and provide the President with its confidential report. Overall, the PACCR performed reviews on 127 units, ending in 1990 with the tenth annual review.

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