John Wesley Fry
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Fry was a politician in Alberta
, Canada
and a mayor of Edmonton
.
on December 5, 1876. He grew up in Woodstock and Owen Sound
and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan
in 1897 to attend Normal School
. He received his teaching certificate and taught for three years in Gainsborough, Saskatchewan
. He married and moved to a homestead near Lloydminster
.
In 1911, he moved to Edmonton and entered the contracting and real estate business.
, when he ran for the position of alderman on Edmonton City Council
. He was elected, finishing second of fifteen candidates. He was re-elected in the 1934
and 1936
elections, finishing second each time (of eighteen and sixteen candidates, respectively).
Fry resigned midway through his third two year term to run for mayor in the 1937 election
, challenging incumbent Joseph Clarke
. He defeated Clarke by three thousand votes, and would go on to be re-elected in 1938
(defeating three challengers, including Clarke), 1939
(defeating local member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Samuel Barnes), 1940
(defeating two challengers), 1941
(defeating alderman George Campbell), 1942
(by acclamation), 1943
(defeating Thomas Cairns), and 1944
(defeating Rice Sheppard
). He did not seek re-election in the 1945 election
, and did not seek political office again thereafter.
, the Union of Alberta Municipalities, and the Canadian Federation of Mayors and Municipalities (serving as President of the latter two). He died December 23, 1946, survived by his wife, four daughters, and one son. One of his daughters, Gladys Fry Douglas, was captain of the Edmonton Grads
basketball
team (undisputed world champions for seventeen years before they disbanded in 1940 and called by basketball's inventor, James Naismith
, the "finest basketball team that ever stepped out on a floor").
His eight years as mayor were the longest in Edmonton's history at that point. William Hawrelak
surpassed the record in 1963 (Hawrelak, who served three non-consecutive stints as mayor, would serve a total of more than nine years). Fry's record of eight consecutive years as mayor stood until 2003, when Bill Smith
surpassed it.
John Fry Park, a baseball
park in Edmonton, is named in Fry's honour.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and a mayor of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Early life
John Fry was born in Woodstock, OntarioWoodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
on December 5, 1876. He grew up in Woodstock and Owen Sound
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
in 1897 to attend Normal School
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
. He received his teaching certificate and taught for three years in Gainsborough, Saskatchewan
Gainsborough, Saskatchewan
-Notable people:* Dr William G. Hobbs, a former physician in the Gainsborough Union Hospital , did a painting of the main street of the town entitled "40 Below Zero" that won a national contest in 1978...
. He married and moved to a homestead near Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...
.
In 1911, he moved to Edmonton and entered the contracting and real estate business.
Political career
John Wesley Fry sought office eleven times in his political career, and was never defeated. His first attempt took place in the 1932 electionEdmonton municipal election, 1932
The 1932 municipal election was held November 9, 1932 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board ....
, when he ran for the position of alderman on Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
. He was elected, finishing second of fifteen candidates. He was re-elected in the 1934
Edmonton municipal election, 1934
The 1934 municipal election was held November 14, 1934 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards....
and 1936
Edmonton municipal election, 1936
The 1936 municipal election was held November 12, 1936 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board . Voters also rejected a proposal to extend the mayor's term to two years...
elections, finishing second each time (of eighteen and sixteen candidates, respectively).
Fry resigned midway through his third two year term to run for mayor in the 1937 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1937
The 1937 municipal election was held November 10, 1937 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and five trustees to sit on the public school board...
, challenging incumbent Joseph Clarke
Joseph Clarke
Joseph Andrew Clarke was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served twice as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, was a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and was a member of the Yukon Territorial Council .-Early life:Clarke was born in...
. He defeated Clarke by three thousand votes, and would go on to be re-elected in 1938
Edmonton municipal election, 1938
The 1938 municipal election was held November 9, 1938 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board...
(defeating three challengers, including Clarke), 1939
Edmonton municipal election, 1939
The 1939 municipal election was held November 8, 1939 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council. Elections for school trustees were not held, as candidates for both the public and separate boards were acclaimed....
(defeating local member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
Samuel Barnes), 1940
Edmonton municipal election, 1940
The 1940 municipal election was held November 13, 1940 to elect a mayor and seven aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council. Elections for school trustees were not held, as candidates for both the public and separate boards were acclaimed....
(defeating two challengers), 1941
Edmonton municipal election, 1941
The 1941 municipal election was held November 12, 1941 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board .There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: James...
(defeating alderman George Campbell), 1942
Edmonton municipal election, 1942
The 1942 municipal election was held November 12, 1942 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, three trustees to sit on the public school board, and five trustees to sit on the separate school board. Voters also approved an eight hour day for firefighters...
(by acclamation), 1943
Edmonton municipal election, 1943
The 1943 municipal election was held November 10, 1943 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board .There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: Athelstan...
(defeating Thomas Cairns), and 1944
Edmonton municipal election, 1944
The 1944 municipal election was held November 1, 1944 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board...
(defeating Rice Sheppard
Rice Sheppard
Rice Sheppard was a politician and farmers' activist in Alberta, Canada. He served on Edmonton City Council for many years, ran for mayoral, provincial, and federal office, and was an executive member of the United Farmers of Alberta.-Early life:Sheppard was born April 2, 1861 in Lambourn,...
). He did not seek re-election in the 1945 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1945
The 1945 municipal election was held November 7, 1945 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and five trustees to sit on the public school board .There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: Sidney...
, and did not seek political office again thereafter.
Personal life, death, and legacy
In addition to his political activities, John Wesley Fry was a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Masonic LodgeFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, the Union of Alberta Municipalities, and the Canadian Federation of Mayors and Municipalities (serving as President of the latter two). He died December 23, 1946, survived by his wife, four daughters, and one son. One of his daughters, Gladys Fry Douglas, was captain of the Edmonton Grads
Edmonton Grads
The Edmonton Grads were a Canadian women's basketball team. While long disbanded, the team continues to hold the North American record for the sports team with the best winning percentage of all time. The Grads won the first women's world title in basketball in 1924.-Origin:In 1912, J. Percy Page...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team (undisputed world champions for seventeen years before they disbanded in 1940 and called by basketball's inventor, James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, the "finest basketball team that ever stepped out on a floor").
His eight years as mayor were the longest in Edmonton's history at that point. William Hawrelak
William Hawrelak
William Hawrelak was a politician in Alberta, Canada, the longest-serving mayor in Edmonton's history, and a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
surpassed the record in 1963 (Hawrelak, who served three non-consecutive stints as mayor, would serve a total of more than nine years). Fry's record of eight consecutive years as mayor stood until 2003, when Bill Smith
Bill Smith (Alberta politician)
William Smith is a businessman, Canadian politician, and former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.Smith was first elected in 1995 after defeating incumbent Mayor Jan Reimer and was re-elected in 1998 and 2001...
surpassed it.
John Fry Park, a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
park in Edmonton, is named in Fry's honour.