Sacrificial Lambs and Rallying Cries: The Politics of Adult Education at the University of Manitoba, 1907-1949

This article narrates the engagement of the University of Manitoba in two waves of the extension movement that shaped adult education work at universities across North America: one rooted in the delivery of public lectures and another rooted in the "Wisconsin idea" of serving citizens and the state. In contrast to developments at provincial universities to the west and east, extension work at the University of Manitoba was not institutionalized until 1949. The article analyzes the politics of adult education at the University of Manitoba, arguing that extension work was treated at different times as a sacrificial lamb and as a rallying cry by university administrators in relations with the provincial government. It analyzes economic and institutional factors that explain why the politics of adult education were so different in Manitoba than in nearby provinces. It offers insight for those interested in adult education programs delivered through universities beyond Canada.