Item 20 - Letter, from Thomas Alexander Crerar

Thomas Alexander Crerar was born on June 17, 1876, at Molesworth, Ontario. His father moved to western Canada in 1881 and Crerar was educated at public schools and at Portage la Prairie Collegiate. On January 31, 1906, he was married to Jessie Hamilton of Solsgirth, Manitoba and they subsequently had two daughters. In 1907 he accepted the presidency and managership of the Grain Growers Grain company which later became the United Grain Growers, and held the presidency until 1929. Crerar was first elected to the House of Commons in 1917. He was sworn as a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada and appointed Minister of Agriculture. He resigned his portfolio in 1919 because of disagreement with budget tariff proposals. Re-elected to Parliament in 1921, he served as leader of the Progressive party in the House of Commons until November 12, 1922 when he resigned and returned to private business. On December 30, 1929, Crerar was sworn in as Minister of Railways and Canals un the Mackenzie King Cabinet and was re-elected by acclimation at the by-election of February 5, 1930. On August 9, 1930, he resigned with the King cabinet. Re-elected once again in 1935, he was sworn in as Minister of Mines, Minister of Immigration and Colonization, Minister of the Interior, and Superintendent General of Indian Affairs. When these four departments were amalgamated on December 1, 1936, into Mines and Resources Crerar was swown in as Minister of the new department. Re-elected to the House of Commons at the general election of 1940, he resigned from the Cabinet in 1945 and was summoned to the Senate, where he served until his retirement in 1966. He died in 1974.