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♂ Wilbert Ross Thatcher
aliasRoss Thatcher
Record
60611 · 3433

☆  ∞1
Type of record
Elected candidate ✓
Known but unelected candidate
Perennial candidate		 Deceased Performance: 78%
  ✓ ✗ ∑
Canada 3 2 5
Saskatchewan 4 0 4
Total 7 2 9
Birth 24 May 1917 → 106 years + 11 months ago
Lived 54 years + 1 month
First mandate 11 June 1945 → 78 years + 10 months ago
↳ at age 28 years
Death 22 July 1971 → 52 years + 9 months ago
Died in office Yes
Special notes
None
 
Wilbert Ross Thatcher (1917–1971)
© Photo Saskatchewan Archives via The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, University of Regina — Public domain
Family tie with other documented individual
⊕ W. Colin Thatcher (1938–) Son  
 
Well that's interesting!
Thatcher, the former Saskatchewan premier, died in office one month after his government was defeated in the 1971 general election. However, perhaps more interesting is what the father and his son Colin share in common, and no, the elder did not kill his ex-wife! It is that when the elder was first elected as MP in 1945, he did so under the CCF banner; by the 1957 election, he had become a Liberal. Similarly, Colin was first elected as a Liberal MLA; two years later, he crossed to the Progressive Conservatives. So in that sense, like father, like son.
 

Length of service in elected office

Legislature Total Government Opposition
years months days years months days years months days
Canada 11 11 26
Saskatchewan 11 1 9 Z
TOTAL 23 1 5

Leadership roles

  Duration
# Legislature Party M Int Role Age Dates y m d
1. SK 13–17
LIB
 1 Party leader 42–54 24 Sep 1959 — 22 Jul 1971 11 9 28
2. SK 14
LIB
 1 Opposition Leader 43–46 09 Feb 1961 — 18 Mar 1964 3 1 9
3. SK 15–16
LIB
 1 Premier 46–54 22 Apr 1964 — 22 Jun 1971 7 2 0

Electoral history

Races 9  
Path points 10  
5 documented challengers
⊖ Hazen R. Argue  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ Louis H. (Scoop) Lewry  m 
⊖ J. Gordon Ross  m 
 		 ⊖ F. Nelson Clarke  m 
⊖ J. Ernest Pascoe  m 
 
Eligible: 23,829 Votes: 20,051 Participation: 84.15% Candidacies: 3
Federal
20		 Saskatchewan
11 June 1945
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Minority
ID: 23350(F) — 16 Aug 2021 01:28 ET
✓
 → New to Parliament
Age
28
CCF
 1/3 9,831 49.03% +3,969 Loser:
LIB
 5,862 29.24% J. Gordon Ross

Service: 4 years 15 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 26,302 Votes: 20,911 Participation: 79.50% Candidacies: 3
Federal
21		 Saskatchewan
27 June 1949
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 23611(F) — 16 Aug 2021 01:28 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
32
CCF
 1/3 10,026 48.19% +2,582 Loser:
LIB
 7,444 35.78% Edward L. Pudden

Service: 4 years 1 month 13 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 34,279 Votes: 23,908 Participation: 69.75% Candidacies: 4
Federal
22		 Saskatchewan
10 August 1953
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 23922(F) — 26 Mar 2024 22:02 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
36
CCF
 1/4 12,436 52.41% +6,415 Loser:
LIB
 6,021 25.37% James L. Gemmell
After his election:
22 Apr 1955 37
CCF
 →
IND
 Changed allegiance (remained in opposition)
Service: 3 years 9 months 30 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 25,704 Votes: 22,193 Participation: 86.34% Candidacies: 4
Federal
23		 Saskatchewan
10 June 1957
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  PC  Minority
ID: 24199(F) — 16 Aug 2021 01:28 ET
✗
 Defeated incumbent →
Age
40
LIB
 2/4 8,862 40.13% -1,527 Winner:
CCF
 10,389 47.04% Hazen R. Argue
Eligible: 25,704 Votes: 21,637 Participation: 84.18% Candidacies: 3
Federal
24		 Saskatchewan
31 March 1958
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  PC  Majority
ID: 24465(F) — 28 Jun 2023 11:36 ET
✗
 Failed comeback to Parliament
Age
40
LIB
 3/3 6,173 28.53% -2,931 Winner:
CCF
 9,104 42.08% Hazen R. Argue
Eligible: 7,361 Votes: 6,600 Participation: 89.66% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
14		 Saskatchewan
8 June 1960
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CCF  Majority
ID: 31861(F) — 13 Oct 2021 12:54 ET
✓
 → New to this legislature (Party leader)
Age
43
LIB
 1/4 2,791 42.29% +162 Loser:
CCF
 2,629 39.83% Robert Davis

Service: 3 years 10 months 13 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 7,085 Votes: 6,140 Participation: 86.66% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
15		 Saskatchewan
22 April 1964
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 31913(F) — 13 Oct 2021 12:55 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
46
LIB
 1/2 3,188 51.92% +236 Loser:
NCCF
 2,952 48.08% Paul W. Beach

Service: 3 years 5 months 18 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 7,786 Votes: 6,488 Participation: 83.33% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
16		 Saskatchewan
11 October 1967
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 13333(F) — 25 Jul 2021 11:15 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
50
LIB
 1/3 3,396 52.34% +998 Loser:
NCCF
 2,398 36.96% Louis H. (Scoop) Lewry

Service: 3 years 8 months 11 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 7,577 Votes: 6,285 Participation: 82.95% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
17		 Saskatchewan
23 June 1971
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  NPD  Majority
ID: 13271(F) — 12 Mar 2022 09:04 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
54
LIB
 1/2 3,502 55.72% +719 Loser:
NPD
 2,783 44.28% Paul W. Beach
After his election:
22 Jul 1971 54
LIB
 →
Vac.
 Died in office
Service: 29 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 7,272 Votes: 5,654 Participation: 77.75% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
17		 Saskatchewan
1 December 1971
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  NPD  Majority
ID: 13370(F) — 12 Oct 2021 22:43 ET
—
 Deceased
Age
54		 Successor:
LIB
 2,700 47.75% John E.N. (Jack) Wiebe

Online biographical references (5)

Bilingual references are counted as a single reference.  Retrieved on
EN Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, University of Regina
Thatcher, Wilbert Ross (1917-71)		 11 Apr 2024
EN Parliament of Canada (ParlInfo)
The Hon. Wilbert Ross Thatcher, P.C., M.P.		 11 Apr 2024
FR Parlement du Canada (ParlInfo)
L'hon. Wilbert Ross Thatcher, C.P., député		 11 Apr 2024
EN Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan, SELD: Members of the Legislative Assembly
Thatcher, Wilbert Ross 1917 – 1971 (p. 37)		 11 Apr 2024
EN Wikipedia
Ross Thatcher		 11 Apr 2024
FR Wikipédia
Ross Thatcher		 11 Apr 2024

© 2019, 2024 :: PoliCan.ca (Maurice Y. Michaud)
Pub.: 22 Jun 2019 17:01
Rev.: 11 Apr 2024 23:18 (but data presented dynamically)

© 2019-2024 :: PoliCan.ca
Given that electoral results are by their very nature public information, such data that can be found in PoliCan are considered to be in the public domain. However, unless indicated otherwise, all other elements — the concept of consolidating these data into a single format, the detailed research on each election, legislature and candidate, the organization and searchability of the data, the programming allowing the entry and maintenance of the data, as well as the analyses and explanatory articles found in this website — are the intellectual property of Maurice Y. Michaud.