Saskatoon historian Bill Waiser has uncovered the story of Harry Accleton, a World War I veteran and University of Saskatchewan employee. Accleton was the craftsman responsible for hand-painting the names of over 300 service members on memorial tiles located in the Peter MacKinnon Building.
The 570-foot legacy of Harry Accleton
The contribution of Harry Accleton remained a family secret until his grandson, Dorian Accleton, began working for the University of Saskatchewan maintenance department in September 2013. According to the report, Harry Accleton was a highly skilled decorator and glazier who served the university for nearly fifty years, staying in his role five years past the official retirement age due to his expertise .
Born in Cobham, England, in 1888, Harry Accleton arrived in Canada in 1911 and became a foreman painter for the fledgling provincial university in Saskatoon. By May 1912, he was instrumental in the physical creation of the campus, painting everything from frosted glass office doors to the lines on the basketball courts. This deep familiarity with the university's infrastructure made him the natural choice for a solemn task following the Great War.
How 67 university deaths shaped the Peter MacKinnon Building
The impact of World War I on the University of Saskatchewan was devastating, with more than 300 students, faculty, and staff enlisting. The drain on manpower was so severe that the university was forced to close its college of engineering for the 1916-17 academic year. As reported by Bill Waiser, 67 men from the university died in the conflict, meaning one in five who enlisted never returned.
This loss created a profound emotional scar on the institution, exemplified by President Walter Murray, who openly wept while reading the names of the fallen during convocation. Harry Accleton himself survived the war, serving as a clerk with the Army Ordinance Corps in Le Havre,France, where he earned the Meritorious Service Medal for his logistical contributions to the front lines.
The random arrangement of 300 names on ceramic ribbons
In 1916,the University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors commissioned a permanent tribute to be installed in the corridors of the College Building, which was renamed the Peter MacKinnon Building in 2012. the project involved creating a decorative frieze of ceramic tile ribbons and small shields stretching across more than 570 feet of wainscotting on the first and second floors.
Upon returning to his job in 1919, Harry Accleton was tasked with the meticulous work of scribing the names of the university's service members onto these glazed terra cotta tiles.. Interestingly, the report notes that Accleton arranged the 300 names randomly, ignoring alphabetical order, rank, or military unit, effectively creating a democratic tapestry of service rather than a rigid military hierarchy.
Why Reginald Bateman's name holds a place of honor
Despite the general randomness of the memorial, one specific exception exists: the name of Reginald Bateman. Harry Accleton painted Bateman's name directly across from the building entrance, positioned immediately to the upper right of the doors leading to Convocation Hall. This placement suggests a specific significance that remains unexplained in the available records.
The account provided by Bill Waiser leaves several questions unanswered, most notably the reason for Reginald Bateman's privileged positioning. Furthermore,while the family history provides a clear link, it remains unclear if the University of Saskatchewan possesses official administrative records from 1919 that document the specific instructions given to Harry Accleton regarding the layout of the scrolls.
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