Fonds paa-6447 - A. Russell Patrick fonds

Allen Russell Patrick was born on September 15, 1910 in Stettler, Alberta. He was educated in Stettler and finished high school in 1928. In the spring of 1929, A. Russell Patrick moved to Calgary and began working in the stock market. After the stock market crashed in November 1929, he lost his job and returned home to find work. In 1930 he was accepted to the Camrose Normal teacher training program. Upon completion of his studies in 1931, he got a job teaching grades 1 through 9 in a rural school. A year later he accepted a position as principal to a school in town. During his many years as a principal, he spent summers improving his education by taking courses at the University of Alberta. On December 22, 1934, A. Russell Patrick married Florence Lyon of Stettler. Together they had three children: Lynn, Terry and Granton. A. Russell Patrick was first elected to the Alberta Legislature on August 5, 1952. In the early summer of 1955, in the midst of Alberta's Jubilee Celebration, he became a Provincial Cabinet Minister with the Social Credit Government. He remained a Cabinet Minister for 16 years until 1971. During his years as Cabinet Minister, A. Russell Patrick was the Minister of Economic Affairs from 1955 to 1959; was appointed Minister of Industry and Tourism in 1959; was Provincial Secretary from 1959 to 1962; was appointed Minister of Mines and Minerals in 1962 and served as Chairman of the Research Council. Twice he represented Western Canada at Parliamentary Conferences in Britain and the Bahamas, led several trade missions to countries such as Japan, Australia and Germany, and coordinated all Royal Visits while he was in office.