William John Patterson
Encyclopedia
William John Patterson (May 13, 1886 – June 10, 1976) was a Liberal
Premier
of Saskatchewan
, Canada
. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
in the 1921 election
. He succeeded James G. Gardiner to become the province's first Saskatchewan-born premier
in 1935.
Patterson's leadership was considered to be uninspired. He was unable to resist the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's rise to power in the 1944 election
under Tommy Douglas
. Patterson's Liberals were reduced to five seats in the Legislature. He resigned as Liberal leader in 1946.
Patterson served as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
of the province from 1951 to 1958, becoming the first person to have been both Premier and lieutenant-governor of the province.
in what was then the District of Assiniboia in the Northwest Territories
. His father, John Patterson had moved to Grenfell in 1882 to work as a railway section foreman during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
. His mother, Catherine Fraser, was an immigrant from Scotland
.
Patterson left school at age 15 and found work first at a bank
and then in the Saskatchewan Department of Telephones
. Following the outbreak of World War I
, Patterson in 1916 enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army, serving as a cavalry
officer
. He was wounded in September 1918.
Upon his return to Saskatchewan after the war, he studied law in Grenfell under lawyer
G.C. Neff, and then moved to Windthorst, Saskatchewan
to set up a financial and insurance agency.
Patterson ran in the Saskatchewan general election of 1921
as the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
's candidate for the constituency
of Pipestone
. Patterson won the election and took his seat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
. Patterson held several cabinet
positions under the governments headed by Premier
James Garfield Gardiner
. He was reelected in the 1925 election
and the 1929 election
, although in the latter case the Liberals lost the election and Patterson moved to the Opposition. In the 1934 election
, the Liberals returned to power, and Patterson returned to cabinet.
In 1935, Premier Gardiner left provincial politics to become Minister of Agriculture of Canada
under Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
. Patterson was elected as Gardiner's successor as leader of the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan and Premier of Saskatchewan. Taking office in the midst of the Great Depression
, Patterson sought to extend social programs to assist those in need. His government increased funding for education; enacted pension
and debt relief
legislation; and expanded public funding for treatment of tuberculosis
, cancer
, and polio. However, Patterson subscribed to the conventional wisdom of the day that deficit spending
would ruin the province's credit
and he therefore refused to run a budget deficit, instead funding the increased government spending through a new sales tax
. His government also passed legislation making it easier to form credit unions; permitting the formation of unions
; and increasing labour standards
.
Patterson won reelection in the 1938 election
and continued to serve as premier. In the 1944 election
, however, the Liberals were easily defeated by the Saskatchewan Co-operative Commonwealth Federation under the leadership of Tommy Douglas
. Patterson served as Leader of the Opposition
until 1946, at which time he resigned as Liberal party leader and declined to seek re-election to the Legislature in the 1948 election
.
Following his resignation, Patterson took up a position with the federal Board of Transport Commissioners
.
In 1951, Patterson was appointed as the first Saskatchewan-born Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
. He served in this post until 1958. Upon Patterson's retirement, Premier Douglas introduced special legislation to provide Patterson with a pension
in thanks for his many years of service to the province.
Patterson lived quietly in retirement until his death on June 10, 1976.
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, 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...
. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
in the 1921 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
. He succeeded James G. Gardiner to become the province's first Saskatchewan-born premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
in 1935.
Patterson's leadership was considered to be uninspired. He was unable to resist the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's rise to power in the 1944 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1944
The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
under Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
. Patterson's Liberals were reduced to five seats in the Legislature. He resigned as Liberal leader in 1946.
Patterson served as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
of the province from 1951 to 1958, becoming the first person to have been both Premier and lieutenant-governor of the province.
Biography
William John Patterson was born on May 13, 1886 at GrenfellGrenfell, Saskatchewan
Grenfell is a town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. European settlement began in 1882 before the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the site of the town; the post office was established in 1883. It is situated at the junction of Highway 47 and the Trans Canada Highway east of Regina, the...
in what was then the District of Assiniboia in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. His father, John Patterson had moved to Grenfell in 1882 to work as a railway section foreman during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. His mother, Catherine Fraser, was an immigrant from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Patterson left school at age 15 and found work first at a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
and then in the Saskatchewan Department of Telephones
SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
. Following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Patterson in 1916 enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army, serving as a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
. He was wounded in September 1918.
Upon his return to Saskatchewan after the war, he studied law in Grenfell under lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
G.C. Neff, and then moved to Windthorst, Saskatchewan
Windthorst, Saskatchewan
Windthorst is a community in Saskatchewan....
to set up a financial and insurance agency.
Patterson ran in the Saskatchewan general election of 1921
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
as the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
's candidate for the constituency
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of Pipestone
Pipestone (Saskatchewan electoral district)
Pipestone was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Located in southeastern Saskatchewan, this district was created as "Whitewood" before the 1st Saskatchewan general election in 1905...
. Patterson won the election and took his seat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
. Patterson held several cabinet
Executive Council of Saskatchewan
The Executive Council of Saskatchewan is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
positions under the governments headed by Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
James Garfield Gardiner
James Garfield Gardiner
James Garfield "Jimmy" Gardiner, PC was a Canadian farmer, educator, and politician...
. He was reelected in the 1925 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1925
The Saskatchewan general election of 1925 was the sixth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 2, 1925 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and the 1929 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1929
The Saskatchewan general election of 1929 was the seventh provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 6, 1929 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, although in the latter case the Liberals lost the election and Patterson moved to the Opposition. In the 1934 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1934
The Saskatchewan general election of 1934 was the eighth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, the Liberals returned to power, and Patterson returned to cabinet.
In 1935, Premier Gardiner left provincial politics to become Minister of Agriculture of Canada
Minister of Agriculture (Canada)
The Minister of Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Dairy Commission, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Farm Products Council and...
under Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
. Patterson was elected as Gardiner's successor as leader of the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan and Premier of Saskatchewan. Taking office in the midst of the Great Depression
Great Depression in Canada
Canada was hit hard by the Great Depression. Between 1929 and 1939, the gross national product dropped 40% . Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933...
, Patterson sought to extend social programs to assist those in need. His government increased funding for education; enacted pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
and debt relief
Debt relief
Debt relief is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. From antiquity through the 19th century, it refers to domestic debts, in particular agricultural debts and freeing of debt slaves...
legislation; and expanded public funding for treatment of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and polio. However, Patterson subscribed to the conventional wisdom of the day that deficit spending
Deficit spending
Deficit spending is the amount by which a government, private company, or individual's spending exceeds income over a particular period of time, also called simply "deficit," or "budget deficit," the opposite of budget surplus....
would ruin the province's credit
Credit rating
A credit rating evaluates the credit worthiness of an issuer of specific types of debt, specifically, debt issued by a business enterprise such as a corporation or a government. It is an evaluation made by a credit rating agency of the debt issuers likelihood of default. Credit ratings are...
and he therefore refused to run a budget deficit, instead funding the increased government spending through a new sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
. His government also passed legislation making it easier to form credit unions; permitting the formation of unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
; and increasing labour standards
Labour law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
.
Patterson won reelection in the 1938 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1938
The Saskatchewan general election of 1938 was the ninth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 8, 1938, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and continued to serve as premier. In the 1944 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1944
The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, however, the Liberals were easily defeated by the Saskatchewan Co-operative Commonwealth Federation under the leadership of Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
. Patterson served as Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Saskatchewan)
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, from 1906 to the present. There was no designated Leader of the Opposition for the sessions of 1921 and 1922.In the period 1925-1929 C.E. Tran and J.T.M...
until 1946, at which time he resigned as Liberal party leader and declined to seek re-election to the Legislature in the 1948 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1948
The Saskatchewan general election of 1948 was the eleventh provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 24, 1948, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
.
Following his resignation, Patterson took up a position with the federal Board of Transport Commissioners
Canadian Transport Commission
The Canadian Transport Commission was Canada's first fully converged, multi-modal regulator.The body was created by Canada's Parliament on September 19, 1967, to assumed the responsibilities of two bodies: the Board of Transport Commissioners , which oversaw air and railway regulation, and the...
.
In 1951, Patterson was appointed as the first Saskatchewan-born Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
. He served in this post until 1958. Upon Patterson's retirement, Premier Douglas introduced special legislation to provide Patterson with a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
in thanks for his many years of service to the province.
Patterson lived quietly in retirement until his death on June 10, 1976.
External links
- William John Patterson, Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan