De Mille, Evelyn, 1919-

Canadian bookseller. E. de Mille, née Orser, a sixth-generation Canadian, was born on August 1, 1919 on her grandparents' homestead at Tristram, Alberta. Attended high school in Alberta. Began working at Eaton's book department in Calgary in 1945, leaving as its head in 1956 to open Evelyn de Mille Books Ltd. By 1974, when the store was sold, E. de Mille established four other branches, making her the first woman in Canada to found a bookstore chain. In 1980 established Evelyn de Mille Technical Books, specializing in technical and reference materials. E. de Mille has always been actively involved in associations relating to bookselling and publishing, serving on the Board of Directors and as president of the Canadian Booksellers Association and as chair of the annual Canadian Booksellers Association conference in 1973. Other volunteer activities include working with the National Museums of Canada on creation of a publishing policy and as a director of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation. E. de Mille has made generous donations to several Alberta organizations including a donation in 1985 to the University of Calgary Library of the collection Books on Books, to which she continues to add informative, interesting and rare items.