Joan L. King's Photo Album: UBC in the 70s through 90s, from Croquet to Queen Elizabeth II to Wonderland

JOAN L. KING

(photo credit: UBC Archives Photograph Collection)

Joan King joined Ceremonies at UBC in 1969, and worked there until her retirement in 1997. She served under five Presidents (Gage, Kenny, Pederson, Strangway, and Piper), organized countless events for the Administration, and supervised graduation ceremonies for thousands of UBC students.

The photographs below are from Joan’s own collection, and give a sense of the range of her activities and of the people she met in the course of her duties. Where possible, we have identified the people in each photograph; if you recognize anyone who is not named, pleased send us the information (herbert.rosengarten@ubc.ca).

: The graduation ceremonies team in 1972. Front row, l to r, Peggy Sayle, Jack Hunter, Malcolm McGregor, Rosina Kent, Joan King; back row, l to r, Tommy Parker, Brian Lopston, Bob Black, Hubert Baranowski, Sid Howe.

: Malcolm McGregor, professor of Classics and Director of Ceremonies, is to President Kenny’s left.

: Joan is between _____ Adams and Peggy Sayle, 1972.

: Alma Mater Society awards. To Joan’s right in the front row is Nina Robinson, then Secretary to the Board of Governors. Back left is David Llewellin Williams (Physics). Back right is Ben Moyls (Mathematics, and Director of Ceremonies; between Nina and Joan is Allen Baxter (Finance).

: Back row: Jack Parnell (Registrar), Ken Black, Ben Moyls, Bob Black, Nestor Korchinsky; front row, X, Y, Joan.

Some of the people Joan met during her time in Ceremonies:

: Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Joan, who came out of retirement to help with the special degree ceremony in 2004 honouring the three Nobel Peace Prize winners: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Professor Shirin Ebadi.

: Joan is robing Her Honour Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant-Governor of BC, in preparation for the special degree ceremony in 2004.

: Prince Philip, at UBC in 1971; with Chancellor Allan McGavin.

: Walter Koerner with Joan, at a graduation ceremony, c.1993-94.

: Canadian artist (and UBC professor) Sam Black, with Joan, and Eilis Courtney.

: David Strangway, Cecil Green, and (then-Mayor of Vancouver) Gordon Campbell, at a function celebrating the opening of Green College at UBC in 1992.

: With Nobel prizewinner Michael Smith and President Martha Piper, on the occasion of Joan’s retirement in 1997.

Some of the people that Joan worked with:

: The Ceremonies team, l to r, Chuck Slonecker, Melissa Picher, Eilis Courtney, Cheryl Banfield, Monica Sayer, Joan, at Cheryl’s retirement in 1996.

: Macebearer John Dennison, Chancellor Leslie Peterson and Mrs. Agnes Peterson in May 1993.

: Shirley Chan, Chair of the UBC Board of Governors, 1997.

: The Two Norms, Norm Watt (Extra-Sessional Studies) and Norm Young (Theatre), with David Strangway, 1997.

From time to time Joan found herself organizing and participating in unusual events such as Looking-Glass fantasies or costume croquet parties:

: Joan with Cheryl Banfield.

: Joan, X, and Cheryl.

: Norm Young, Joan, Alice Strangway, Cheryl Banfield, Norm Watt, Olga Rumen, Libby Kay, X, Elaine Stevens: the organizing committee for one of the croquet tournaments.

Joan oversaw the historic meeting of Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin at Norman McKenzie House in 1993:

When Joan retired in 1997, she was honoured in a special ceremony presided over by Chancellor Bill Sauder and President David Strangway, who named her Honorary Director of Ceremonies:

: The Thunderbird Choir, led by Athletics Director Bob Philip (r), singing in Joan’s honour. L to r, Don Wells, Bob Hindmarch, Kim Gordon, X, June Carlyle, Bob Philip.