Gerard Amerongen

Gerard Amerongen
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
1971–1986
Preceded byArthur J. Dixon
Succeeded byDavid J. Carter
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Meadowlark
In office
1971–1986
Succeeded byGrant Mitchell
Personal details
Born
Gerard Joseph Taets van Amerongen

(1914-07-18)July 18, 1914
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DiedApril 21, 2013(2013-04-21) (aged 98)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Political partyProgressive Conservative
Residence(s)Edmonton, Alberta
Alma materUniversity of Alberta
Professionlawyer

Gerard Joseph Taets van Amerongen (July 18, 1914 – April 21, 2013) was a politician and lawyer from Alberta, Canada.

He was born in 1914 in Winnipeg[1] and grew up in Edmonton. He graduated in law from the University of Alberta.[2] He first ran for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1955 provincial election, as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Edmonton district. He finished 18th on the first ballot and was eliminated in transfers.

He ran in the next three provincial general elections in various districts and was defeated each time. He was first elected in the 1971 provincial election in the district of Edmonton-Meadowlark. He was appointed Speaker and held that position until 1986 when he was defeated in his riding by Grant Mitchell, who later became leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.

Amerongen was the second sitting speaker to be defeated in Alberta but the first sitting speaker to be defeated while his party retained a majority government.

He operated a law firm in Edmonton until 2007.[2]

  1. ^ Perry, Footz (2006) 381
  2. ^ a b Gerein, Keith (22 April 2013). "Gerard Amerongen, former Speaker of Alberta legislature, dead at 98". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.