William J. P. MacMillan

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| honorific-suffix =

| image =William_Macmillan.jpg

| imagesize =

| order = 18th

| office = Premier of Prince Edward Island

| predecessor = James D. Stewart

| successor = Walter Lea

| monarch = George V

| lieutenant_governor = Charles Dalton
George DesBrisay DeBlois

| term_start = October 14, 1933

| term_end = August 15, 1935

| office1 = Leader of the Conservative/Progressive Conservative of Prince Edward Island

| predecessor1 = James D. Stewart

| successor1 = Reginald Bell

| term_start1 = October 14, 1933

| term_end1 = June 26, 1950

| office2 = MLA (Councillor) for 5th Queens

| predecessor2 = Gavan Duffy

| successor2 = C. St. Clair Trainor

| term_start2 = July 26, 1923

| term_end2 = July 23, 1935

| predecessor3 = C. St. Clair Trainor

| successor3 = Alex MacIsaac

| term_start3 = May 18, 1939

| term_end3 = May 25, 1955

| birth_name = William Joseph Parnell MacMillan

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1881|03|24}}

| birth_place = Clermont, Prince Edward Island

| death_date = {{death date and age|1957|12|7|1881|03|24}}

| death_place = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

| nationality = Canadian

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Mary B. Macdonald|1909}}
{{marriage|Letitia Macdonald (nee Roberts|1922}}

}}

| party = Conservative/Progressive Conservative

| otherparty =

| relations =

| children = 6

| alma_mater = Prince of Wales College
McGill University

| occupation = physician and surgeon

| profession = Politician

| cabinet = Minister without Portfolio (1923–1927)
Minister of Education (1931–1933)
Minister of Public Health (1931–1935)
Provincial Secretary-Treasurer (1933–1935)

}}

William Joseph Parnell MacMillan (March 24, 1881 – December 7, 1957) was a physician and Prince Edward Island politician.

Life and career

Born in Clermont, MacMillan was a graduate of Prince of Wales College and the McGill University Faculty of Medicine.

After running a medical practice for several years, MacMillan entered politics in 1923 winning a seat in the provincial legislative assembly as a Conservative. In 1932 he became the province's first minister of health and education. As minister he rebuilt Prince of Wales College and the Provincial Mental Hospital which had both been destroyed by fire. He also secured a Carnegie Foundation endowment that enabled the government to establish a provincial library system.

When Premier James D. Stewart became ill, MacMillan served as acting premier and then became the 18th premier of Prince Edward Island when Stewart died in 1933. MacMillan's government implemented relief programs and increasing government spending to help dampen the impact of the Great Depression.{{Cite book |last=Marsh |first=James H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wR_-aSFyvuYC |title=The Canadian Encyclopedia |date=1999 |publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia |isbn=978-0-7710-2099-5 |pages=1406 |language=en}} Nevertheless, his government was swept from power in the 1935 election which saw the Liberals capture every seat in the legislature. He returned to the legislature in 1939 and remained leader of the Conservative Party until the late 1940s and a member of the legislature until he lost his seat in the 1955 election.

MacMillan was named the province's lieutenant governor on November 22, 1957 but died before being sworn in.

References

{{Prince Edward Island Conservative and Progressive Conservative leaders}}

Category:1881 births

Category:1957 deaths

Category:Politicians from Prince County, Prince Edward Island

Category:Premiers of Prince Edward Island

Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island MLAs

Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island leaders

Category:Prince of Wales College alumni

Category:McGill University Faculty of Medicine alumni

Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island