William Ross Macdonald
Leader of the Government in the Senate | |
|---|---|
| In office April 22, 1963 – February 2, 1964 | |
| Prime Minister | Lester B. Pearson |
| Preceded by | Alfred Johnson Brooks |
| Succeeded by | John Joseph Connolly |
| In office October 14, 1953 – June 20, 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Wishart McLea Robertson |
| Succeeded by | John Thomas Haig |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Senate | |
| In office June 20, 1957 – April 22, 1963 | |
| Preceded by | John Thomas Haig |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Johnson Brooks |
| 18th Solicitor General of Canada | |
| In office January 12, 1954 – June 20, 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Ralph Campney |
| Succeeded by | Léon Balcer |
| Senator for Brantford, Ontario | |
| In office June 12, 1953 – December 22, 1967 | |
| Appointed by | Louis St. Laurent |
| 22nd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada | |
| In office September 15, 1949 – June 11, 1953 | |
| Monarchs | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Governors General | The Viscount Alexander of Tunis Georges Vanier |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Gaspard Fauteux |
| Succeeded by | Louis-René Beaudoin |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Member of Parliament for Brantford | |
| In office October 14, 1935 – June 27, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Edwy Ryerson |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Brantford City | |
| In office June 27, 1949 – August 10, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | James Elisha Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1891 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 28, 1976 (aged 84) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Farringdon Burial Ground, Brantford |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit |
|
| Battles/wars | First World War |
William Ross Macdonald
Early life
Macdonald was born in
In 1921, Macdonald married Muriel Whittaker.
Political career
Macdonald sought
During World War II, Macdonald was a staunch supporter of conscription. His position is made clear in this wartime quote taken from a Canadian newspaper, "There is a victory to be won and that can be accomplished only by every Canadian taking part." After the war, he served as Deputy Speaker (1945–1949) and then as Speaker of the House of Commons (1949–1953).
While serving as Speaker of the House of Commons Macdonald made a famous ruling, banning musical instruments from being played in the Chamber, on June 3, 1950. The ban came about after
In 1953,
With the defeat of the Liberals, he became
Governor General
In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.[3] The Ontario School for the Blind in Brantford was renamed the W. Ross Macdonald School in his honour.
He died in Toronto in 1976.
Freemasonry
William Macdonald was a devoted
References
- The Lethbridge Herald. Vol. XLIII, no. 146. June 3, 1950. p. 1.
- ^ "Chancellors from 1961 to present". Wilfrid Laurier University. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007.
- ^ Order of Canada citation. Archived 2017-02-01 at the Wayback Machine