Lincoln Alexander

Lincoln MacCauley Alexander PC CC KStJ OC CD QC (born January 21, 1922 in Toronto , Ontario - † October 19, 2012 ) was a Canadian politician of the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) who became the first Canadians of African descent to be a member of the House of Commons and also the first Canadian of African descent to become federal minister, between 1979 and 1980 as Minister of Labor in the 21st Canadian cabinet of Prime Minister Joe Clark.

He later held the post of lieutenant governor of a Canadian province again as the first Canadian of African descent and was lieutenant governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991 . He was named Companion of the Order of Canada for his services in Canadian politics, and in 1992 he was named Companion of the Order of Ontario .

Life

World War II, lawyer and member of the House of Commons

Alexander came from a family of African immigrants and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force between 1942 and 1945 during World War II . Most recently, he was corporal and was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) for his services .

After attending school, he completed a law degree , which he completed with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and later a Doctor of Law (LL.D.). He then served as Solicitor and as a barrister working and eventually for his legal services to Crown Counsel (Queen's Counsel) appointed.

In the election of November 8, 1965 , Alexander ran for the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) in the constituency of Hamilton West without success for the first time for a seat in the House of Commons. In the subsequent election of June 25, 1968 , he was elected for the first time for the PC as a member of the House of Commons and represented the constituency of Hamilton West for eleven years until he resigned on May 28, 1980 . He was the first Canadian of African descent to become a member of the House of Commons.

At the beginning of his membership in parliament he was between 1969 and 1972 spokesman for the PC parliamentary group in the lower house for labor policy and from 1969 to 1970 at the same time spokesman for housing. He was then briefly spokesman for employment and immigration in 1972 and again labor policy spokesman between October 24, 1973 and December 19, 1974. From October 24, 1974 to October 1977, he also acted as spokesman for his parliamentary group for the Unemployment Insurance Commission and at the same time again as spokesman for employment policy between 1975 and 1977. Most recently he was spokesman for the PC group for the public service from 1977 to 1978.

Federal Minister and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Coat of arms of Lincoln Alexander as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

On June 4, 1979, Alexander was appointed federal minister by Prime Minister Joe Clark as the first Canadian of African descent. He served as Secretary of Labor in Canada's 21st Cabinet from June 4, 1979 to the end of Clark's tenure on March 2, 1980. On May 28, 1980, he resigned his House of Commons mandate after he became Chairman of the Workmen's Compensation Board of Ontario.

Alexander was the first Canadian of African descent to hold the post of vice governor of a province. On September 20, 1985, he was succeeded John Black Aird Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and held this office for more than six years until December 10, 1991. He was then succeeded by Hal Jackman . During this time, he was named Honorary Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force's 2nd Tactical Aviation Wing in 1989.

After completing his work as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, he succeeded Edmund Bovey as Chancellor of the University of Guelph in 1991 and held this position for more than 15 years until he was replaced by Pamela Wallin in June 2007. Alexander was appointed in 1992 for his longstanding services of Ontario. At the same time he was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada on April 30, 1992.

publication

• "Go to school, you're a little black boy". The Honorable Lincoln M. Alexander. A Memoir , co-authored by Herb Shoveller, Toronto, Dundurn Press, 2006, reprinted 2010

Web links and sources

• CV on the home page of the Canadian Parliament

Individual evidence

1. ^ Canadian Ministries at rulers.org
2. ^ Canadian Provinces at rulers.org
3. ^ Entry on the homepage of the Order of Canada