Thane Campbell

Thane Alexander Campbell, CC (July 7, 1895 – September 28, 1978) was a Prince Edward Island politician and jurist, who served as the 19th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1936 to 1943.

The Honourable Thane Campbell CC
19th Premier of Prince Edward Island
In office January 14, 1936 – May 11, 1943
Monarch	George V Edward VIII George VI
Lieutenant Governor	George DesBrisay DeBlois Bradford W. LePage
Preceded by	Walter Lea
Succeeded by	John Walter Jones
Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party
In office January 14, 1936 – May 11, 1943
Preceded by	Walter Lea
Succeeded by	John Walter Jones
MLA (Councillor) for 1st Prince
In office August 6, 1931 – May 11, 1943
Preceded by	Robert H. Gordon
Succeeded by	Joseph A. Bernard
Personal details
Born	July 7, 1895 Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Died	September 28, 1978 (aged 83) Ottawa, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Cecilia Bradshaw
Children	4, including Alex
Residence	Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Alma mater	Saint Dunstan's University Dalhousie University Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Occupation	lawyer and judge
Profession	Politician
Cabinet	Attorney General (1930–1931) Attorney and Advocate General (1935–1936)

Early life

Born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, the son of Alexander and Clara (Muttart) Campbell, Campbell was educated at Summerside Public School and Prince of Wales College. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Dunstan's University and Master of Arts from Dalhousie University. A Rhodes Scholar, he received a Master of Arts degree from Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Returning to PEI in 1922, he read law with A. C. Saunders in Summerside.[1]

Politics

Campbell first ran for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in a 1930 by-election as the Liberal candidate in 2nd Prince but lost. In 1930, he was appointed Attorney General of Prince Edward Island. He was elected for 1st Prince in 1931 and re-elected in 1935 and was appointed Attorney and Advocate General in Premier Walter Lea's cabinet.[1]

When Premier Lea died in 1936, Campbell succeeded him. Campbell's government organised the provincial police, passed the province's first law governing the public service and established a national park. With the beginning of World War II, Campbell's government committed itself to organising the province for the war effort.

Judicial career

In 1943, Campbell left politics to become Chief Justice on the island's Supreme Court and, in 1970, became head of the Foreign Claims Commission. While Chief Justice he saw his son, Alexander B. Campbell, sworn in as premier in 1966.[1]

Curling

A curler, he joined the Summerside Curling Club in 1928. He was President of the PEI Curling Association in 1936. He served as President of the Dominion Curling Association from 1941 to 1942. In 2007, he was posthumously inducted into the Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum.[2] In 1974, he was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in the builder category.[3]

Honours

In 1973 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.[4]

Family life

He married Cecilia Bradshaw (1906–1968) on 28 February 1930. They had four children: Virginia; Alex; Harriet; and J. Melville.[1]

References

1. "Thane A. Campbell fonds". Archives Council of Prince Edward Island.
2. "2007 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony".
3. "Inductees to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2012-12-09.
4. Office of the Governor General of Canada. Order of Canada citation. Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 26 May 2010