Aberhart, William

Aberhart, William
born Dec. 30, 1878, Kippen, Ont., Can.
died May 23, 1943, Vancouver, B.C.

Canadian politician and the country's first Social Credit Party premier (Alberta, 1935–43).

Aberhart was a high school principal in Calgary, Alta. (1915–35). An active lay preacher, he founded the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute (1918). In 1932 he used his evangelical rhetoric to promote monetary-reform theories to solve the economic problems created in Alberta by the Great Depression, proposing to issue dividends (social credit) to each person, based on the real wealth of the province. When his party won a majority in the 1935 provincial election, he became premier and minister of education, but his social-credit proposals were disallowed by the federal government.

* * *

▪ Canadian politician
born Dec. 30, 1878, Kippen, Ont., Can.
died May 23, 1943, Vancouver, B.C.

      the first Social Credit Party premier of Alberta, during and after the Great Depression.

      Trained as a teacher, Aberhart was a high-school principal and Protestant lay preacher in Calgary, Alta. (1910–35). Beginning in the mid-1920s he became widely known as a radio evangelist, earning the sobriquet “Bible Bill.” In 1927 he founded the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute and in 1932 employed his evangelical rhetoric in promoting the unorthodox Social Credit monetary-reform and political theories of the British economist C.H. Douglas (Douglas, Clifford).

      In order to solve economic problems and to build a new society, Aberhart proposed to issue dividends (social credit) to each person, based on the real wealth of the province. After the 1935 provincial election in which the Social Credit Party candidates won 56 of the 63 assembly seats, he became premier and minister of education, and he determined to make Alberta an example of the Social Credit system. The necessary enabling legislation, however, was declared unconstitutional and was disallowed by the federal government. Aberhart nonetheless continued in office, directing Alberta's economy along orthodox financial lines, until his death.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Aberhart, William — (1878–1943)    Politician, Preacher and Broadcaster.    Aberhart was born in Ontario, Canada. Initially he earned his living as a schoolteacher and, in his spare time, he taught a Bible class at the Westbourne Baptist Church. This was very… …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Aberhart, William — (30 dic. 1878, Kippen, Ontario, Canadá–23 may. 1943, Vancouver, Columbia Británica). Político canadiense y primer ministro (Alberta, 1935–43) del país, perteneciente al Partido del Crédito Social. Dirigió un colegio secundario en Calgary, Alberta …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Aberhart — William Aberhart William Aberhart (* 30. Dezember 1878 in Kippen, Perth County, Ontario; † 23. Mai 1943 in Vancouver) war ein kanadischer Politiker, Lehrer und Prediger. Vom 3. September 1935 bis zu seinem Tod war er Premierminister der Pro …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • William Aberhart — (* 30. Dezember 1878 in Kippen, Perth County, Ontario; † 23. Mai 1943 in Vancouver) war ein kanadischer Politiker, Lehrer und Prediger. Vom 3. September 1935 bis zu seinem Tod war e …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Aberhart — is a surname and may refer to:*Laurence Aberhart *William Aberhart …   Wikipedia

  • William Aberhart — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar …   Wikipedia Español

  • William — /wil yeuhm/, n. 1. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W. 2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning will and helmet. * * * (as used in expressions) Huddie William Ledbetter Aberhart William George William… …   Universalium

  • William — (as used in expressions) William Alexander Abbott Aberhart, William George William Russell Amis, Sir Kingsley (William) Ashley, William Henry Ashton, Sir Frederick (William Mallandaine) Barkley, Alben W(illiam) Bartram, William William Allen… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • William Aberhart — en 1937 William Aberhart (né le 30 décembre 1878 et décédé le 23 mai 1943), surnommé Bible Bill pour sa prédication réligieuse, était un homme politique canadien créditiste qui a été premier ministre de l Alberta du 3 septembre …   Wikipédia en Français

  • William Irvine (Canadian politician) — William Irvine (April 19, 1885 October 26, 1962) was a Canadian politician, journalist and clergyman. He served in the Canadian House of Commons on three different occasions, as a representative of Labour, the United Farmers of Alberta and the Co …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”