Before establishing the Department of University Extension (1936), the University of British Columbia was engaged in three main extension activities. These included the provision of vocational courses for returning soldiers (1917-1921), the dissemination of agricultural information to the province's farmers through short courses, and the Extension Lectures Committee (1918-1935), which coordinated lectures by university faculty throughout the region. A Carnegie Corporation grant of $50,000 helped to establish the Deptartment of University Extension in 1936. Robert English became its first director. Between 1936 and 1970, the department, first under English, then Gordon Shrum and later John Friesen, expanded the scope of its activities. The department continued until 1970, when, after a re-evaluation period, the university changed its name to Continuing Education. This transition reflected changing public demands and a shift in emphasis toward professional and continuing academic education.