Robert Henry McGregor | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for York East | |
| In office 1935–1962 | |
| Preceded by | new riding |
| Succeeded by | Steve Otto |
| Member of Parliament for York South | |
| In office 1926–1935 | |
| Preceded by | William Findlay Maclean |
| Succeeded by | Earl Lawson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1886 |
| Died | January 25, 1965 (aged 78) |
| Political party | Conservative National Government Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Olive Linda McGregor (nee Moorcroft) died in 1926. Olive and R.H. McGregor are the parents of Audrey McCrae, Mildred Baechler, Russell McGregor. 2nd spouse, Estelle Orr[1] |
| Profession | Horticulturist |
Robert Henry McGregor, PC (March 1, 1886 – October 25, 1965) was a long-time Canadian parliamentarian.
MacGregor was a contractor and horticulturalist by profession. He grew up in the Todmorden area of suburban Toronto, and was once an Elementary School student of a teacher named William Thomas Diefenbaker. His initial experience in politics began in 1912 when he was appointed a school trustee for York Township. Following the formation of North York Township, he eventually became the first reeve of East York. In 1922, R.H. McGregor Elementary School, located in the eventual centre of East York, was erected and named in his honour.
He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1926 federal election and sat continuously in the chamber for thirty-six years until his defeat in the 1962 federal election when he was 79 years old.[2]
Originally elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for York South, he switched to the new Toronto riding of York East when it was created for the 1935 federal election. He won election a total of eight consecutive times[2] and was Dean of the House of Commons being its longest-serving member in the last years of his career.[3]
Despite his long tenure in the House of Commons he spoke rarely and was nicknamed "Silent Bob" McGregor. His only recorded Parliamentary speech occurred when being feted in the House on his 74th birthday. On that occasion he remarked "If a good many hon. Members made fewer speeches in the House, they would be here longer."[1][3]
Though never a member of Cabinet, he was elevated to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on December 21, 1960, on Diefenbaker's recommendation in recognition of McGregor's long tenure of service.[4]
Electoral record
| 1935 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 11,634 | ||||||
| Liberal | Goldie Fleming | 8,922 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Arthur Henry Williams | 7,864 | ||||||
| Reconstruction | John Warren | 4,054 | ||||||
| Independent Liberal | Denis McCarthy | 975 | ||||||
| 1940 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| National Government | Robert Henry McGregor | 16,741 | ||||||
| Liberal | Robert Allan Irwin | 12,429 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Edward Bigelow (Ted) Jolliffe | 4,931 | ||||||
| 1945 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 19,908 | ||||||
| Liberal | Donald Robert Morrison | 14,036 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Frederick C. Madill | 8,654 | ||||||
| Labor–Progressive | John Francis White | 465 | ||||||
| Social Credit | Carl Clark Pinkney | 355 | ||||||
| 1949 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 22,364 | ||||||
| Liberal | Walter Melville Martin | 21,398 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Frederick C. Madill | 13,448 | ||||||
| 1953 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 11,062 | ||||||
| Liberal | Joseph Douglas Thomas | 8,701 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | True Davidson | 5,815 | ||||||
| Labor–Progressive | Margery Ferguson | 472 | ||||||
| 1957 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 17,236 | ||||||
| Liberal | Ray S. Tower | 9,078 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Sid Dunkley | 6,725 | ||||||
| Social Credit | Henry F. Motton | 620 | ||||||
| 1958 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 22,900 | ||||||
| Liberal | Ray. S. Tower | 8,317 | ||||||
| Co-operative Commonwealth | Sid Dunkley | 6,033 | ||||||
| 1962 Canadian federal election: York East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal | Steve Otto | 16,963 | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Robert Henry McGregor | 16,827 | ||||||
| New Democratic Party | Sid Dunkley | 10,940 | ||||||
| Social Credit | Norman Elston | 609 | ||||||
References
- 1 2 "Robert H. McGregor - In Commons 36 Years, Made One Speech / Deaths". The Globe and Mail. 26 October 1965. p. 43.
- 1 2 Robert Henry McGregor – Parliament of Canada biography
- 1 2 The Role of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Speech by Peter Milliken at the University Club of Toronto October 25, 2001. (Accessed February 17, 2007)
- ↑ Silent Dean of Commons Takes Oath as Privy Council Member The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]22 Dec 1960: 3