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Alexander Cameron Rutherford (February 2, 1857 – June 11, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first Premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Ontario, he studied and practised law in Ottawa before moving with his family to the Northwest Territories in 1895. Here he began his political career, winning in his third attempt a seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. In keeping with the territorial custom Rutherford ran as an independent, though he generally supported the territorial administration of Premier Frederick W. A. G. Haultain. At the federal level, however, Rutherford was a Liberal. In 1905, Alberta Lieutenant Governor George Bulyea asked Rutherford to form the new province's first government. As Premier, his first task was to win a workable majority in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, which he did in the 1905 provincial election. His second was to provide the apparatus of provincial government: his government established everything from speed limits to a provincial court system. The legislature also controversially, and with Rutherford's support, selected Edmonton over rival Calgary as the provincial capital. Calgarians' bruised feelings were not salved when the government located the University of Alberta, a project dear to the Premier's heart, in his hometown of Strathcona, just across the North Saskatchewan River from Edmonton. The government was faced with labour unrest in the coal mining industry, which it resolved by establishing a commission to examine the problem. It also set up a provincial government telephone network—Alberta Government Telephones—at great expense, and tried to encourage the development of new railways. It was in pursuit of this last objective that the Rutherford government found itself embroiled in scandal. Early in 1910, William Henry Cushing's resignation as Minister of Public Works precipitated the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal, which turned many of Rutherford's Liberals against his government. Eventually, pressure from many party figures forced Rutherford to resign. He kept his seat in the legislature after resigning as premier, but was defeated in the 1913 election by Conservative Herbert Crawford. After leaving politics, Rutherford continued his law practice and his involvement with a wide range of community groups. Most importantly, he became chancellor of the University of Alberta, whose earlier founding had been a personal project. He died of a heart attack June 11, 1941. A University of Alberta library, an Edmonton elementary school, and Jasper National Park's Mount Rutherford are named in his honour. Additionally, his home, Rutherford House, was opened as a museum in 1973. ==Early life== Alexander Rutherford was born February 2, 1857, near Ormond, Ontario on his family's dairy farm.〔Babcock 1〕 His parents, James (1817–1891) and Elspet〔 "Elizabeth" (1818–1901) Cameron Rutherford,〔Perry, Craig 2006, pg. 205〕 had immigrated from Scotland two years previous.〔 They joined the Baptist Church, and his father joined the Liberal Party of Canada and served for a time on the Osgoode village council.〔 Rutherford attended public school locally and, after rejecting dairy farming as a vocation, enrolled in a Metcalfe high school.〔 After graduating in 1874, he attended the Canadian Literary Institute, a Baptist college in Woodstock.〔 He graduated from there in 1876, and taught for a year in Osgoode. Next he moved to Montreal to study arts and law at McGill University.〔Roome 4〕 He was awarded degrees in both in 1881, and joined the Ottawa law firm of Scott, McTavish and McCracken where he was articled for four years under the tutelage of Richard William Scott.〔Babcock 1–4〕 Called to the Ontario bar in 1885, he became a junior partner in the firm of Hodgins, Kidd and Rutherford with responsibility for its Kemptville office for ten years.〔Babcock 4〕 He also established a moneylending business there.〔Babcock 5〕 During this time, his social circle grew to include William Cameron Edwards.〔 Through Edwards, Rutherford was introduced to the Birkett family, which included former Member of Parliament Thomas Birkett.〔 Rutherford married Birkett's niece, Mattie Birkett, in December 1888.〔 The couple had three children: Cecil (born in 1890), Hazel (born in 1893),〔 and Marjorie (born in 1903, but died sixteen months later).〔Babcock 21–22〕 Rutherford had a traditional view of gender roles, and was happy to leave most child-rearing responsibilities to his wife.〔Roome 6〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alexander Cameron Rutherford」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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