R.I.P. Lincoln MacCauley Alexander (1922 - 2012)

 

 

Lincoln MacCauley Alexander was born January 21, 1922 in Toronto to West Indian parents and grew up in Toronto and New York City. He served in World War II with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a corporal, graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto 1953; that path was set after he had applied for a sales job with Stelco in 1949 after graduating from McMaster University with a BA. They said customers would not want to deal with a black man, and this gave him the impetus to attend law school. 

He first ran for political office in 1965 and was a seatmate of John Diefenbaker in Parliament. Later on he was elected to the House of Commons in 1968 making him the first black member of Parliament. Alexander moved to Hamilton in the early 1940s and he represented Hamilton West for the PC party, a position he would hold for the next four elections. The Honourable Lincoln Alexander served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991 and was the first black person to do so. Read more and watch the trailer for his film documentary...

Also he held the role of chairperson to the Canadian Race Relations Foundations; Alexander is recipient of many prestigious awards and honours including seven honorary doctorates; Chancellor of the University of Guelph (1991-2007) a term exceeded that of any of his predecessors; and is honorary Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Alexander was an observer to the United Nations in 1976 and 1978. Under the brief government of Joe Clark in 1979-1980, Alexander served as Minister of Labour. He resigned his seat in 1980 to serve as chairman of the Ontario Worker's Compensation Board. He was the Honorary Patron of the Hamilton, Ontario branch of St. John Ambulance, as well as Honorary Chief of the Hamilton Police Service.

Election night in 1979

 

In November 2006, his autobiography Go to School, You're a Little Black Boy: The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander: A Memoir was published.

He was named after his father, Lincoln MacCauley Alexander Sr., who came to Canada from St. Vincent. Lincoln M. Alexander passed away today at 90 years of age and is survived by his second wife Marni, and son Keith (with two granddaughters, Erika and Marissa) Keith is son with first wife Yvonne Harrison - who passed away in 1999.

Celebrating his 90th birthday earlier this year, he was quoted as saying...“I never thought I would last this long,” he said. “My mother died when I was 49. My father died at 59. I was very happy to do what I have done. I’m a lucky dude.”

*Why did I post this?? I've always admired the man and his accomplishments.*  R.I.P.

 

Trailer: The Story of Lincoln (documentary)

 

Video: Lincoln Alexander elected to Parliament, 1968

 

 



 



Victorious election night in 1972