C. D. Howe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Trade and Commerce | |
| In office 19 January 1948 – 21 June 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | James Angus MacKinnon |
| Succeeded by | Gordon Churchill |
| Minister of Defence Production | |
| In office 1 April 1951 – 20 June 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis St. Laurent |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Howard Charles Green (acting) |
| Minister of Reconstruction and Supply | |
| In office 1 January 1946 – 14 November 1948 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Robert Winters |
| Minister of Reconstruction | |
| In office 13 October 1944 – 21 December 1945 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister of Munitions and Supply | |
| In office 9 April 1940 – 31 December 1945 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister of Transport | |
| Acting 13 May 1942 – 5 October 1942 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Arthur Cardin |
| Succeeded by | Joseph-Enoil Michaud |
| In office 2 November 1936 – 7 July 1940 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Cardin |
| Minister of Railways and Canals | |
| In office 23 October 1935 – 1 November 1936 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Robert James Manion |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister of Marine | |
| In office 23 October 1935 – 1 November 1936 | |
| Prime Minister | W. L. Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | Lucien Henri Gendron |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Port Arthur | |
| In office 14 October 1935 – 10 June 1957 | |
| Preceded by | Riding created |
| Succeeded by | Douglas M. Fisher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Clarence Decatur Howe 15 January 1886 Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 31 December 1960 (aged 74) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Alice Worcester (m. 1916) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Profession |
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| Signature |  |
Clarence Decatur Howe PC (UK), PC (Can) (15 January 1886 – 31 December 1960) was an American-born Canadian engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician. Howe served as a cabinet minister in the governments of prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent continuously from 1935 to 1957. He is credited with transforming the Canadian economy from agriculture-based to industrial. During the Second World War, his involvement in the war effort was so extensive that he was nicknamed the "Minister of Everything".[1]
Born in Massachusetts, Howe moved to Nova Scotia as a young adult to take up a professorship at Dalhousie University. After working for the Canadian government as an engineer, he began his own firm and became wealthy. In 1935, he was recruited as a Liberal candidate for the House of Commons of Canada by Mackenzie King. The Liberals won the election in a landslide and Howe won his seat. Mackenzie King appointed him to the Cabinet. There, he took major parts in many new enterprises, including the founding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Trans-Canada Air Lines (today Air Canada). Howe played a crucial role in Canada's war effort during WWII and recruited many corporate executives (as "dollar-a-year-men") to serve as executives in wartime enterprises.
Howe was impatient with parliamentary debates for his proposals, causing him to struggle with gaining popularity amongst parliamentarians; he was often accused of dictatorial conduct by the Opposition. As the Liberal government entered its third decade, it and Howe came to be seen as arrogant. The Government's attempt to impose closure in the 1956 Pipeline Debate led to major controversy in the House of Commons. In the 1957 election, Howe's actions and policies were made an issue by Opposition leader John Diefenbaker. Howe faced a serious challenge in his riding, but was expected to make speeches elsewhere as a major Liberal leader. Howe lost his seat in the election, and Diefenbaker became Prime Minister, ending almost 22 years of Liberal rule. Howe returned to the private sector, accepting a number of corporate directorships, and died suddenly of a heart attack in December 1960.
- ^ "The War Economy and Controls: C. D. Howe". Canadian War Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2013.