The club now known as University of Regina Women has had various titles, they have been the University of Regina Women's Club, and Faculty Wives’ Club. The group was begun by women who were socially aware, who saw in their communities the necessity for taking leadership roles that could bring more focus to the needs and concerns of their community.
The first meeting of 16 women was held in November 1915 where it was decided that the objectives would include stimulating intellectual growth in women while at the same time advancing culture, and educational learning of the community thereby promoting civic reform. They worked for the war effort, peace, public education, immigration and social welfare, the group altered its focus when and where necessary.
Membership in the Club is open to all women employed at the University as well as those employed on either the College Avenue Campus or the Main Campus. The club offers support, assistance and fellowship to new teaching staff and their wives, they also act as a service group to assist with Convocation Teas and other University related events. They also continuously raise money for scholarships and bursaries.
In 1992, the University Women's Club of Regina changed its name to the Canadian Federation of University Women, this change of name, it was felt, better reflected the national relationship of the group to other branches.
The MacKenzie receives its name from Norman MacKenzie, a Regina-based lawyer who had a passion for art. MacKenzie had a vision for an encyclopedic museum in the standard colonial model of that era, acquiring historical works from Europe and cultural artifacts from across the world. When he passed away in 1936, he bequeathed his collection to the Regina Campus of the University of Saskatchewan (now the University of Regina), which led to the opening of the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery in 1953.
In its early years, the MacKenzie had an intimate connection to the Fine Arts program at the University, including the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops. The Gallery quickly became a hub for the avant-garde and a driving force in sharing the stories of Saskatchewan through its collections, exhibitions, and programs. The Gallery’s first director was Ronald Bloore, who later became a founding member of the Regina Five and an influential figure in Saskatchewan’s artistic landscape. The MacKenzie became independent from the University in 1990 when it moved to its current site in the T.C. Douglas Building. It continues to have a close relationship with the University of Regina through the care of its collection, cross-appointments, work studies, and other ongoing partnerships.