UBC's first 100 theses

No. Author Thesis Title Degree Year

Although UBC opened its doors in 1915 it was not until 1919 that the University awarded the first graduate degrees. In that year two women, Ruth Fulton and Isobel Harvey, received masters degrees. In fact, six of the first ten masters degrees granted by the University went to women. The University awarded its first doctorates in 1950 when four students earned PhDs.

What began as a trickle of graduate degrees early in the 20th century has now grown to approximately 1,000 per year. Prior to moving to an electronic thesis and dissertation submission program in 2008 UBC graduate students generated approximately 33,000 theses totalling over five million pages. The Library is undertaking a major project to digitize and provide access to this unique research carried out by UBC graduate students. To help commemorate the University’s 100th anniversary this resource was created, initially to provide access to the first 100 theses written at the University -- it was later extended to include theses written up to 1930.

All images taken from the UBC Annual unless otherwise indicated.

1 Fulton, Ruth Vivian
Ruth Vivian Fulton
A study of the estimation of iron and the separation of manganese from iron by phenyl-nitroso-hydroxylamine ammonium (cupferron)
(First thesis in Arts and Science)
M.A. 1919
2 Harvey, Isobel
Isobel Harvey
Dickens and De Morgan M.A. 1919
3 Wright, Charles A.H.
Charles A.H. Wright
Preparation of manganates and permanganates of metals of alkali and alkaline earth groups
(First thesis in Applied Science)
M.A.Sc. 1920
4 Emmons, Richard Conrad
Richard Conrad Emmons
The Rainy Day mineral prospect M.A. 1920
5 McGuire, Stella V.
Stella V. McGuire
The treatment of nature in the works of George Meredith and Thomas Hardy M.A. 1920
6 Napier, Edna (Marwick)
Edna Napier
Joseph Conrad's women M.A. 1920
7 Mennie, John H.
John H. Mennie
Liquid chlorine as an ionizing solvent. The conductivity of oxonium compounds in liquid chlorine M.A. 1920
8 Mounce, Irene
(UBC photo 1.1/11744)
Irene Mounce -- UBC photo 1.1/11744
Some factors affecting the commercial value of spruce wood M.A. 1920
9 Ryder, Walter Scott
Walter Scott Ryder
Canada's industrial crisis of 1919 M.A. 1920
10 Wilband, Hazel G.
Hazel G. Wilband
Thackeray, a study M.A. 1920
11 MacLean, Olive Edmonson
Olive Edmonson MacLean
An investigation of the water supply of the city of Vancouver M.A. 1921
12 Swanson, Clarence Otto
Clarence Otto Swanson
The replacement at the Homestake Mine M.A.Sc. 1922
13 Blakey, Dorothy
(UBC photo 68.1/18-2)
Dorothy Blakey -- UBC photo 68.1/18-2
A critical study of the romances of William Morris M.A. 1922
14 Dunbar, Violet Evelyn
Violet Evelyn Dunbar
Solubility of cyclohexane and benzene in liquid sulphur dioxide M.A. 1922
15 Dunlop, Henry Adam
Henry Adam Dunlop
The embryology of the Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta Walbaum M.A. 1922
16 Foerster, R. Earle
R. Earle Foerster
The hydromedusae of the west coast of North America with special reference to those of the Vancouver Island region M.A. 1922
17 Handford, Freda Mary
Freda Mary Handford
Hydrogen peroxide as an indicator M.A. 1922
18 Morrison, Loyle Alexander
Loyle Alexander Morrison
The sterling rate of exchange since the war M.A. 1922
19 Morrison, Margaret
Margaret Morrison
The rate of disappearance of diphtheria bacilli from the throats of individuals infected with the organism M.A. 1922
20 Peck, Kathleen Margaret
Kathleen Margaret Peck
Le pacte avec le diable - dans le roman anglais et francais M.A. 1922
21 Palmer, Richard Claxton
Richard Claxton Palmer
The irrigation of truck crops in the Okanagan valley
(First thesis in Agriculture)
M.Sc. 1923
22 Banfield, William Orson
William Orson Banfield
The viscosity of pure hydrogen bromide and solutions of cetic acid and ethyl alcohol in hydrogen bromide M.A.Sc. 1923
23 Gale, William Alexander
William Alexander Gale
The ternary system. Magnesium sulphate-sodium, sulphate-water, and a method for the separation of these salts M.A.Sc. 1923
24 McDougall, Stewart Robertson
Stewart Robertson McDougall
Lubrication and chemical constitution M.A.Sc. 1923
25 Melville, John
John Melville
The vapor pressure of carbon dioxide in equilibrium with mixtures of solutions of potassium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate M.A.Sc. 1923
26 Scott, William Orville Craig
William Orville Craig Scott
A new system of cooling an engine by means of a water jet M.Sc. 1923
27 Battle, Sarah Josephine The social ideas in Hauptmann's plays M.A. 1923
28 Boss, Arthur Evan
Arthur Evan Boss
The solubility of certain inorganic salts in ethyl acetate M.A. 1923
29 Dauphinee, James Arnold
James Arnold Dauphinee
The physiological values of foxgloves grown in B.C. M.A. 1923
30 Fournier, Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas Fournier
Canadian federal finance during the Great War M.A. 1923
31 Harris, Joseph Allen
Joseph Allen Harris
The diffusion of gases of the atmosphere through hot quartz M.A. 1923
32 Kilpatrick, Myrtle Esther
Myrtle Esther Kilpatrick
Seriological groups of diphtheria bacilli M.A. 1923
33 King, Herbert Baxter Modern theories of instinct M.A. 1923
34 Macdougall, Alice Pearce Localization of the drug content of digitalis M.A. 1923
35 McConnell, Hazel Erma
Hazel Erma McConnell
L'enfant dans la litterature francaise du xixe et du xxe siecle M.A. 1923
36 MacKay, Katharine A critical study of the women of George Meredith M.A. 1923
37 Moodie, Stanley Fyfe Middleton McDougall's conception of the group mind M.A. 1923
38 Reid, Mary Lillian
Mary Lillian Reid
Works councils: do they offer a solution for the present day industrial problem? M.A. 1923
39 Wilson, Freda L.
Freda L. Wilson
The bacterial flora of the watersheds of Seymour and Capilano creeks M.A. 1923
40 Wilson, Grace A.
Grace A. Wilson
The bacteriophage M.A, 1923
41 Kelly, Clifford Darton
Clifford Darton Kelly
Further studies on the bacterial flora of the "Kingston cheese" M.Sc. 1924
42 Leckie, Claude Perrin
Claude Perrin Leckie
An investigation into factors affecting the marketing of the apple crop of British Columbia, with special reference to markets in Great Britain, Canada and the United States M.Sc. 1924
43 Ure, William
William Ure
The vapor pressure of acetone at low temperatures M.A.Sc. 1924
44 Bain, Janet Burnett Studies on the virulence of Diphtheria bacilli M.A. 1924
45 Beech, William Kenneth Costing principles M.A. 1924
46 Kerr, Donna
Donna Kerr
A study of certain factors concerned in glycolysis M.A. 1924
47 Le Neveu, Allan Henry
Allan Henry LeNeveu
Educational finance in western Canada M.A. 1924
48 Osterhout, Minnie Mildred
Minnie Mildred Osterhout
Habit as a factor of conduct control M.A. 1924
49 Weld, Charles Beecher
Charles Beecher Weld
A new vaccine for use in treating diphtheria carriers M.A. 1924
50 Wilby, George Van
George van Wilby
The life history of the Ling cod Ophiodon Elongatus Girard M.A. 1924
51 Fleming, William Melvin Inheritance in sweet peas M.Sc 1925
52 Bramston-Cook, Harold Edward
Harold Edward bramston-Cook
The heat of adsorption of oxygen on charcoal M.A.Sc. 1925
53 Graham, William Ernest
William Ernest Graham
The cataloytic preparation of ether from alcohol by means of aluminum oxide M.A.Sc. 1925
54 Huggett, Jack Leslie
Jack Leslie Huggett
The chemical constitution of a fraction of Peruvian petroleum boiling between 150[degrees] and 350[degrees] C M.A.Sc. 1925
55 McLachlan, Charles Gordon
Charles Gordon McLachlan
Synthetic testing for flotation M.A.Sc. 1925
56 Osborne, Freleigh Fitz
Freleigh Fitz Osborne
The magnetite occurrences of the West coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.: their contact metamorphism and ore genesis M.A.Sc. 1925
57 Peck, Wallace Swanzey
Wallace Swansey Peck
The molecular surface energy of binary mixtures M.A.Sc. 1925
58 Smitheringale, William Vickers
William Vickers Smitheringale
Antimony M.A.Sc. 1925
59 Brink, Reginald Murray
Reginald Murray Brink
A study of the population movements between the United States and Canada M.A. 1925
60 Brown, Joseph Frederick
Joseph Frederick Brown
Orbits asymptotic to the straight line equilibrium points in the problem of three bodies, in which the finite bodies are oblate spheroids M.A. 1925
61 Crozier, Robert Nelson
Robert Nelson Crozier
Some applications of the electronic conception of Valence, as presented by H.S. Fry, to the replacement of halogen and nitro groups substituted in the benzene nucleus M.A. 1925
62 Dallas, Dorothy Frances
Dorothy Frances Dallas
L'element feminin au dix-septieme siecle en France M.A. 1925
63 Fordyce-Clark, Charles Augustus
Charles Augustus Fordyce-Clark
Byron as a satirist M.A. 1925
64 Gill, Alan Findlay
Alan Findlay Gill
The variation of solubility with structure in isomers M.A. 1925
65 Hewetson, Henry Weldon The railway rate problem of western Canada with particular reference to British Columbia M.A. 1925
66 Johnston, Charlotte Islay
Charlotte Islay Johnston
Isosceles triangle solutions of the problem of three bodies two of which are oblate spheroids M.A. 1925
67 Lee, Doris E.
Doris E. Lee
Some factors making for the success or failure of agriculture in British Columbia M.A. 1925
68 Offord, Harold Reginald
Harold Reginald Offord
An investigation of: i. The total alkaloid content of British Columbia Datura Stramonium and Conium Maculatum and the essential oil content of some British Columbia grown mints. ii. The tannin content of British Columbia Alnus Rubra M.A. 1925
69 Smith, Donald Blair
Donald Blair Smith
The removal of the Imperial limitations from the Canadian constitution M.A. 1925
70 Carter, Neal Marshall
Neal Marshall Carter
A quantitative examination of the nitrate formed by replacement of the N O2 - radical in the presence of highly-colored reaction products. A quantitative investigation of the replacement of nitro-groups in the benzene ring as predicted by the electronic conception of polarity M.A.Sc. 1926
71 Jackson, Gerald Christopher Arden
Gerald Christopher Arden Jackson
The geology and structure of the West Kootenay composite batholith M.A.Sc. 1926
72 Lucas, Colin Cameron
Colin Cameron Lucas
The essential oil content of the Chamaecyparis Nootkatensis M.A.Sc. 1926
73 Price, Peter
Peter Price
Ore deposits of southeastern British Columbia M.A.Sc. 1926
74 Carpenter, Gilbert Brown
Gilbert Brown Carpenter
The investigation of a gas evolved from quartz at high temperature M.A. 1926
75 Davis, Newton Fraser Gordon The petrography of the rocks of Hong Kong M.A. 1926
76 Gage, Walter Henry
(UBC photo 1.1/12219)
Walter Henry Gage -- UBC photo 1.1/12219
An illustrative periodic orbit of the second genus M.A. 1926
77 Gillanders, Earle Burdette
Earle Burdette Gillanders
Slocan ores M.A. 1926
78 Greig, Janet T. Le canadisme de la litterature canadienne-francaise de l'ecole de 1860 M.A. 1926
79 Hallamore, Gertrude Joyce
Gertrude Joyce Hallamore
The treatment of women in the plays of Friedrich Habbel M.A. 1926
80 Hamilton, George Henry Religious conceptions of native B.C. tribes M.A. 1926
81 Mathews, Helen M.
Helen M. Mathews
Transfer of infection by handshakes M.A. 1926
82 Morrison, Louise Dorothy
Louise Dorothy Morrison
Le patriotisme dans l'oeuvre de Rostand M.A. 1926
83 Nuttall, Thomas Herbert The Protestant church as a factor in secondary education in Canada M.A. 1926
84 Palmer, Peter Fourie
Peter Fourie Palmer
Chance in Thomas Hardy M.A. 1926
85 Guernsey, Isabel Macpherson (Russell)Isabel Macpherson Guernsey Moliere - l'historian social de son époque M.A. 1926
86 Smith, Gertrude M.
Gertrude M. Smith
The detailed anatomy of Triturus Torosus M.A. 1926
87 Stevens, Ernest George Barlow
Ernest George barlow Stevens
The diplomatic background of the war: 1870-1914 M.A. 1926
88 Story, Evelyn Sykes
Evelyn Sykes Story
India and nationhood M.A. 1926
89 Williamson, Lillian A. A critical study of character-analysis in the novels of George Eliot M.A. 1926
90 Caple, Kenneth Percy
(UBC photo 109.1/3)
Kenneth Percy Caple -- UBC photo 109.1/3
The British Columbia apple industry, a report on the present trend of production, marketing and co-operative organization M.Sc. 1927
91 Middlemass, James Douglas Some observations on the growth of a strain of Escherichia Coli in raw and in pasteurized milk M.Sc. 1927
92 Jones, William Alfred The petrography of the rocks of Hong Kong M.A.Sc. 1927
93 Allen, George Ashwell
George Ashwell Allen
The development of Canadian trade with Latin America M.A. 1927
94 Ball, Robert William
Robert William Ball
Extraction of rare earths from monazine sand, rare earth residues M.A. 1927
95 Chalmers, William
William Chalmers
Mechanism of loss of water from substituted alcohols M.A. 1927
96 Davidson, Jean Elizabeth
Jean Elizabeth Davidson
Agaricaceae of Vancouver district M.A. 1927
97 Gordon, Margaret National autonomy in relation to foreign affairs; a study in Canadian development M.A. 1927
98 Mawdsley, Mary Dorothy The influence of Marlowe on Shakespeare M.A. 1927
99 Rae, Hugh McConnell The moral content in adolescent behaviour M.A. 1927
100 Reith, Helen Wilma
Helen Wilma Reith
Thomas Carlyle as a social reformer M.A. 1927