Image courtesy of University of Saskatchewan Archives.
Image courtesy of University of Saskatchewan Archives.

Remembering Douglas A. Schmeiser (BA’54, LLB’56)

The College of Law is sad to share the passing of Professor and Dean Emeritus Douglas A. Schmeiser, SOM, QC.

Schmeiser was a student of the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), receiving his Bachelor of Arts from St Thomas More College in 1954 and his Bachelor of Laws from the College of Law in 1956. He also received both a Master of Laws and a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Michigan, in 1958 and 1963 respectively.

In 1956, Schmeiser was hired as a special lecturer by the U of S and secured a full-time teaching position at the College of Law in 1961, which led to a full professorship in 1968. He served the college as director of graduate legal studies from 1964 to 1974 and as dean from 1974 to 1977.

A generous supporter of both the College of Law and St Thomas More College, Schmeiser’s philanthropy reflected his belief in giving students a solid educational foundation and his gratitude for his own memorable experience at the U of S. He endowed two scholarships to the College of Law, the Douglas A. Schmeiser Prize in Criminal Procedure and the Douglas A. Schmeiser Prize in Constitutional Law.

He was author of numerous books and served his community in leadership positions on many boards and councils. In 2010, Schmeiser was given the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the highest honour the province bestows.