Douglas Harkness

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = Douglas Harkness

|birth_name = Douglas Scott Harkness

|honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|OC|GM|ED|PC}}

|image = File:Douglas Harkness.jpeg

|imagesize =

|caption =

| office = Minister of National Defence

| primeminister = John Diefenbaker

| term_start = 11 October 1960

| term_end = 3 February 1963

| predecessor = George Pearkes

| successor = Vacant

| office1 = Minister of Agriculture

| primeminister1 = John Diefenbaker

| term_start1 = 21 June 1957

| term_end1 = 10 October 1960

| predecessor1 = James Garfield Gardiner

| successor1 = Alvin Hamilton

| office2 = Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources

| primeminister2 = John Diefenbaker

| term_start2 = 21 June 1957

| term_end2 = 18 August 1957

| predecessor2 = Jean Lesage

| successor2 = Alvin Hamilton

|riding3 = Calgary Centre

|parliament3 = Canadian

|term_start3 = 25 June 1968

|term_end3 = 29 October 1972

|predecessor3 = Riding created

|successor3 = Harvie Andre

|riding4 = Calgary North

|parliament4 = Canadian

|term_start4 = 10 August 1953

|term_end4 = 24 June 1968

|predecessor4 = Riding created

|successor4 = Eldon Woolliams

|riding5 = Calgary East

|parliament5 = Canadian

|term_start5 = 11 June 1945

|term_end5 = 9 August 1953

|predecessor5 = George Henry Ross

|successor5 = John Kushner

|party = Progressive Conservative

|birth_date = {{birth date|1903|03|29|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

|death_date = {{death date and age|1999|05|02|1903|03|29|df=yes}}

|death_place = Calgary, Alberta, Canada

|spouse = {{marriage|Frances Elizabeth MacMillan|1932|1991|end=died}}

|children = 1

| education = University of Alberta (BA)

|residence =

|profession = {{hlist| Farmer | Teacher}}

| allegiance = Canada

|branch = Canadian Army

|serviceyears = 1940–1949

|rank = Lieutenant Colonel

|unit = 4th Canadian Armoured Division

|battles = World War II

| mawards =

}}

Douglas Scott Harkness {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OC|GM|ED|PC}} (29 March 1903 – 2 May 1999) was a Canadian politician.

Early life and military service

He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1929. He graduated from the University of Alberta, then farmed and taught school in the vicinity of Red Deer.{{cite magazine |title=New Minister Won GM at Sea |magazine=The Crowsnest |publisher=Queen's Printer |location=Ottawa |volume=12 |number=12 |date=October 1960 |pages=2}} He taught at Crescent Heights High School until 1939.

He fought during the Second World War from 1940 to 1945, serving in the European theater of war. He was posted to Great Britain, Sicily, Italy and Northwest Europe. In 1943 was awarded the George Medal "in recognition of conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner".{{London Gazette|issue=36427|date=17 March 1944|page=1265|supp=2}} Harkness was aboard a troopship when it was torpedoed transiting from Sicily to England. Harkness was awarded the medal for his organization of the abandonment of the ship. In 1945, Harkness was the commanding officer of the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment of the 4th Armoured Division. After returning from the war, Harkness returned to farming, residing in De Winton, Alberta, south of Calgary.

Member of Parliament

In 1945, Harkness was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the constituency of Calgary East and briefly held the Cabinet positions of Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister of National Revenue under the government of John Diefenbaker. He was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on August 7, 1957, as Minister of Agriculture.

Harkness was appointed Minister of National Defence, being sworn in on October 11, 1960. He precipitated a political crisis when he resigned from cabinet in February 1963 to protest Diefenbaker's opposition to stationing American nuclear warheads in Canada. The resignation precipitated a split in the cabinet and contributed to the defeat of the government in the 1963 federal election. He continued to sit as a Member of Parliament until 1972.

Post-political career

He lived in Calgary until his death in 1999. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The Douglas Harkness Community School in Calgary is named in his honour.

Parliamentary functions

File:Queen Elizabeth and members of the federal government of Canada in Ottawa 1957-10-14.jpg

Minister of Agriculture (Acting), (June 21 – August 6, 1957)
Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, (June 21 – August 18, 1957)
Minister of Agriculture, (August 7, 1957 – October 10, 1960)
Minister of National Defence, (October 11, 1960 – February 3, 1963)

References

External links

{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=11570}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070216210106/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003584 Douglas Scott Harkness] at The Canadian Encyclopedia

Category:1903 births

Category:1999 deaths

Category:20th-century Canadian farmers

Category:Canadian Army personnel of World War II

Category:Military personnel from Toronto

Category:Canadian Presbyterians

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta

Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada

Category:Ministers of national defence of Canada

Category:Officers of the Order of Canada

Category:Politicians from Calgary

Category:Politicians from Toronto