William Burton MacDiarmid (23 May 1875 – 13 May 1947) was a Liberal party

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 member of the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

. He was born in Athol, Ontario and became a physician by career.

MacDiarmid graduated from McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 where he received his medical degree (MDCM). He became a Health Officer in the communities of Maxville

North Glengarry, Ontario

North Glengarry is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is a predominantly rural area located between Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal and Cornwall-Massena....

 and Roxborough Township

North Stormont, Ontario

North Stormont is a lower tier township in eastern Ontario, Canada in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. The township was incorporated on January 1, 1998 by amalgamating the former townships of Finch and Roxborough with the independent village of Finch.-Communities:The township...

.

He was first elected to Parliament at the Glengarry

Glengarry (electoral district)

Glengarry was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917, and from 1925 to 1953. It was located in the province of Ontario...

 riding in the 1940 general election

Canadian federal election, 1940

The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...

 and re-elected in 1945

Canadian federal election, 1945

The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...

. MacDiarmid resigned on 22 June 1945 to allow 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...

 to campaign for and hold the riding in a by-election

By-election

A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

 after King had suffered personal defeat in the general election in his riding of Prince Albert

Prince Albert (electoral district)

Prince Albert is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1988, and since 1997.-Geography:...

. MacDiarmid died unexpectedly on 13 May 1947 at his residence in Maxville due to heart failure.

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