Douglas Abbott
W. L. Mackenzie King Louis St. Laurent | |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | James Lorimer Ilsley |
| Succeeded by | Walter Harris |
| Minister of National Defence | |
| In office August 21, 1945 – December 9, 1946 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Andrew McNaughton |
| Succeeded by | Brooke Claxton |
| Member of Parliament for Saint-Antoine—Westmount | |
| In office March 26, 1940 – June 30, 1954 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Smeaton White |
| Succeeded by | George Carlyle Marler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Douglas Charles Abbott May 29, 1899 Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | March 15, 1987 (aged 87) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouses | Mary Winnifred Chisholm
(m. 1925; died 1980)Florence Elizabeth Scarth
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 3, including Tony |
| Alma mater |
|
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Non-Permanent Active Militia Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 1918 |
| Rank | Gunner (NPAM)[1] |
| Unit | 7th (McGill) Siege Battery, Canadian Garrison Artillery, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery |
Douglas Charles Abbott
Early life
Abbott was born in
Political career
Abbott successfully stood for election to the House of Commons in 1940, and remained a member of the House for fourteen years. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Abbott served as Minister of National Defence (1945–46) and then Minister of Finance (1946–54).
Supreme Court justice
He was appointed to the
Abbott was appointed to the court directly from the federal Cabinet, where he had served the previous seven years as Finance Minister.[2] The appointment is considered one of the most controversial in the history of the Supreme Court.[2] It was the first appointment directly from Cabinet since the 1911 appointment of Louis-Philippe Brodeur.[2] As of 2024, Abbott was the last justice of the Supreme Court of Canada appointed directly to the Court from the Cabinet, and the last justice to have held elected office prior to his appointment.[citation needed]
Parliamentary seats
House of Commons
- 16 May 1940 – 16 April 1945: St. Antoine—Westmount, Quebec
- 6 September 1945 – 30 April 1949: St. Antoine—Westmount, Quebec
- 15 September 1949 – 13 June 1953: St. Antoine—Westmount, Quebec
- 12 November 1953 – 30 June 1954: Saint-Antoine—Westmount, Quebec
Parliamentary functions
Ministry
- 18 April 1945 – 11 December 1946: Minister of National Defence for Naval Services[3]
- 21 August 1945 – 11 December 1946: Minister of National Defence[3]
- 10 December 1946 – 30 June 1954: Minister of Finance[3] and Receiver General
Parliamentary Secretary
- 1 April 1943 – 7 March 1945: Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance[3]
- 8 March 1945 – 16 April 1945: Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of National Defence[3]
Archives
There is a Douglas Charles Abbott fonds at Library and Archives Canada. Archival reference number is R4773 (former archival reference number MG32-B6).[4]
References
- ^ Archives, McGill University (November 11, 2012). "McGill University Archives – McGill Remembers". www.archives.mcgill.ca.
- ^ ISBN 9781550286922.
- ^ ISBN 0900362480.
- ^ "Finding aid for Douglas Charles Abbott fonds" (PDF). Retrieved June 8, 2020.