David Alexander Gordon
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = David Alexander Gordon
| honorific-suffix =
| smallimage = David Alexander Gordon.jpg
| imagesize =
| constituency_MP = Kent East
| parliament = Canadian
| predecessor = The electoral district was created in 1903.
| successor = The electoral district was abolished in 1914.
| term_start = 1904
| term_end = 1917
| birth_date = {{birth date|1858|01|18}}
| birth_place = Wallaceburg, Canada West
| death_date = {{death date and age|1919|03|09|1858|01|18}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| spouse =
| party = Liberal
| relations =
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}}
David Alexander Gordon (January 18, 1858 – March 9, 1919) was a Canadian politician. Born in Wallaceburg, Canada West, the son of Aaron Gordon (Scottish heritage), and Jane Steinchoff (German heritage), Gordon educated at the public schools in Wallaceburg.
His son Arthur Saint Clair Gordon (1894–1953) later served as an Ontario cabinet minister. His daughter Ruby May Gordon (1885–1952) was an opera singer.
Political career
A manufacturer, he was a town councillor and mayor of Wallaceburg from 1898 to 1900. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the House of Commons of Canada for the electoral district of Bothwell at the general elections of 1900. He was elected in 1904 for the electoral district of Kent East. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1908 and 1911.
Business career
Although D. A. Gordon had a successful regional and national political career he is known locally as the "Father of Modern Wallaceburg". He was most likely given this title for his work in establishing four of Wallaceburg's most successful industries: Wallaceburg Cooperage Company (1887), Sydenham Glass Company (1894), Canada and Dominion Sugar Company (1901), and the Wallaceburg Brass and Iron Limited Company (1905). He played various leadership roles in starting the aforementioned businesses, however, his ability to raise investment funds was invaluable.Mann, Alan and Frank. Settlement on The Sydenham: The Story of Wallaceburg. Wallaceburg: Standard Press, 1984, 2-15.
Legacy
A southside public school was in his honour, the D. A. Gordon Public School, on 430 King Street, from 1922 before its closure in June 2014.{{cite news |last1=GOUGH |first1=David |title=The last day for D.A. Gordon public school |url=https://www.wallaceburgcourierpress.com/2014/06/26/the-last-day-for-da-gordon-public-school |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=Wallaceburg Courier Press |date=26 June 2014}} It then became the Edward International Academy.
Electoral record
{{1900/Canadian federal election/Bothwell}}
References
- {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=7216}}
- [https://archive.org/details/canadianparliame00montuoft The Canadian Parliament; biographical sketches and photo-engravures of the senators and members of the House of Commons of Canada. Being the tenth Parliament, elected November 3, 1904]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, David}}
Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs
Category:19th-century mayors of places in Ontario
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Category:Politicians from Chatham-Kent
Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
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