Creating an archive documenting the impact of information technology on all aspects of campus life.
Learn MoreWelcome to the UNB History of Information Technology (1958-2008) project web site.
This site tells the story of how group of visionary believers in the transformative power of information technology at UNB (a small Eastern Canadian University deep in the great North Woods of Outer Canada) led their university, city (Fredericton), province (New Brunswick), region (the Maritimes and Atlantic Provinces) and occasionally even Canada and the whole world into the information age.
The project is almost complete. Our focus has been two-fold: firstly collecting and archiving as much relevant and uniquely UNB material as possible and secondly interviewing as many of the pioneers who led UNB down the information highway as we could. The site now contains 32 video interviews and a timeline. In the near future we will also make our newsletters (Compilation), our user guides (CLs) and a photo archive available.
Please feel free to explore our site. Questions and comments should be directed to Greg Sprague (gls@unb.ca) or any of the other members of the HIT Team.
Greg Sprague
HIT Team Chair
December, 2019
A team comprised of current and retired information technology professionals at UNB has started work on a project to document the history of information technology at the university (all campuses). The team is concentrating on a fifty-year period from the time the first computer arrived on the Fredericton campus n 1958 to 2008. UNB proundly boasts many IT firsts in Canada including the first Faculty of Computer Science and being the first university in the country to offer free e-mail accounts to all students.
The project team will create an archive (both physical and online) documenting the impact of information technology on all aspects of campus life including research, teaching and learning, administration, libraries and the student experience. In addition, the social and economic impact of computing at UNB on life in New Brunswick will also be documented.
The HIT Team would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their valuable contributions to the project:
While this project is still in the early scope-setting phase, several goals have already been identified:
At this year's Homecoming, Dave Macneil and Greg Sprague gave a presentation on the History of IT at UNB.
Since the first computer arrived on campus in 1958, UNB has been a leader in using IT in support of teaching and learning, research, and the administration of our university thereby enhancing the student experience.
Join us as we explore the History of IT at UNB and look ahead to the future of technological innovation.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.
Dr. Wasson has devoted his 41-year career to computer science education.
A true pioneer, he joined the University of New Brunswick in 1958 - a year before the university purchased its first computer - and went on to distinguish himself as first director of the Computing Centre, first director of the School of Computer Science, and first dean of the faculty of computer science.
Guided by his vision, UNB established Atlantic Canada's first master's, undergraduate, co-op and PhD programs in computer science - and, in 1990, the first faculty of computer science in the country.
In recognition of Dr. Wasson's outstanding contributions to UNB and the computing industry in the province, he was presented with the New Brunswick Information Technology Award at the Premier's Forum on IT in 1997.
Do you have any memories, anecdotes, good stories of your interaction with computers, Computer Services or other technology over the years? If you do, send a note to us. We would be glad to add your experiences (and even artifacts) to our collection.
Fill out this form, or contact Greg Sprague (gls@unb.ca) for more information.