Stanley Harwood McCuaig, CM QC (February 11, 1891 – March 6, 1986), was a prominent Canadian lawyer in Edmonton, Alberta.
Stanley Harwood McCuaig | |
|---|---|
| 20th President of the Canadian Bar Association | |
| In office 1948–1949 | |
| Preceded by | John Thomas Hackett, KC |
| Succeeded by | A.N. Carter, K.C., LL.D. |
| President of the Law Society of Alberta | |
| In office 1952–1953 | |
| Preceded by | Laurence Yeomans Cairns, QC, LL.D. |
| Succeeded by | Everett James Chambers, QC |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1891 Bainsville, Ontario |
| Died | March 6, 1986 Edmonton, Alberta |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse | Hazel Rutherford |
| Relations | Alexander Rutherford, former Premier of Alberta (father-in-law) |
| Children | Eric Alexander Duncan McCuaig, Q.C. (1920-2015) Ruth McCuaig Bate (died 1983) Helen "Honey" Rutherford McEvoy (née McCuaig) (1924-2016) Harwood Stanley McCuaig (1926-2015) |
| Alma mater | Queen's University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canadian Army |
| Branch/service | Royal Canadian Artillery |
| Years of service | 1917–18 |
| Battles/wars | World War I: Western Front |
Early life and education
editMcCuaig was born at Bainsville, Ontario, the eldest son of Duncan Donald McCuaig and Catherine (née McIntosh) McCuaig.[1] He attended primary school in Bainsville, and high school in Williamstown and Glencoe.[2] Upon graduation, he briefly attended normal school in Cornwall, Ontario before enrolling in Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. He graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1913.[3]
Following graduation, Stanley obtained work with his uncle J. D. McArthur as a timekeeper for the Hudson's Bay Railway.[2] In 1914, he moved west to Edmonton, Alberta, where he became a law student at the University of Alberta and articled underneath Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the former Premier of Alberta.[1]
Military service
editOn April 20, 1917, at Lethbridge, Alberta McCuaig enlisted in the Canadian Army, joining the Canadian Field Artillery (78th Depot Battery) of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.[1] He fought on the Western Front with the Canadian Corps and was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in action.[4]
Personal Life and Honors
edit
After the war, McCuaig returned to Edmonton and resumed working with Rutherford. On September 17 1919, McCuaig married Rutherford's daughter, Hazel Rutherford. Together, the couple had four children: two sons and two daughters.[4][5][6][7]
McCuaig and his family were long-time members of First Presbyterian Church of Edmonton.[8] The family were also active in the Edmonton community. Stanley served on the boards of many organizations including the United Way, and as chairman of the board for both the Misrecordia Hospital and of the Sisters of Our Lady in Refuge. In recognition of his service, he was named Edmonton's "citizen of the year" in 1955, was named to the Order of Canada in 1972, and received the Benemerenti medal from Pope Paul VI in 1973.[9][10][2]
Law career
editMcCuaig practiced with the Rutherford firm for many years, but, in 1939, he left to establish his own firm, McCuaig, Desrochers, Beckingham & McDonald, which continues today as McCuaig Desrochers LLP. In 1948, his son Eric McCuaig joined the firm. McCuaig practiced law in Edmonton for almost 60 years, setting very high practice standards for himself and for the firm.[11]
In 1949 and 1950, McCuaig was the president of the Canadian Bar Association, a voluntary professional association of lawyers across Canada.[12] From 1952-53, he served as the President of the Law Society of Alberta, the regulatory body for lawyers in Alberta. Some twenty years later, his son Eric McCuaig was also elected President of the Law Society.[13]
In 1949, Queen's University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.[3] The Dr. Stanley Harwood McCuaig Scholarship is awarded at Queen's Law School to students with high standing in courses in Property Law, Business Associations and Commercial Law.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c Canadian Great War Project: Stanley Harwood McCuaig.
- ^ a b c McCuaig, Donald W. (1986). The McCuaigs of Bainsville. Renfrew, Ontario: Donald W. McCuaig. p. 9.
- ^ a b Queen's University Honorary Degrees, 1858 to present.
- ^ a b Canada Veterans Hall of Valour: Stanley Harwood McCuaig.
- ^ Edmonton Journal: "Harwood Stanley McCuaig", November 17, 2015.
- ^ Vancouver Sun: "Eric Alexander McCuaig Obituary", December 10, 2015.
- ^ ObitTree: "Helen 'Honey' Rutherford McEvoy (Nee McCuaig) Tribute", 2016.
- ^ Kenneth Munro, First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton: A History (Victoria: Trafford Publishing, 2004).
- ^ "S. H. McCuaig Awarded "Citizen of the Year" Plaque". Edmonton Journal. May 3, 1955. p. 3.
- ^ "City Lawyer Awarded Order of Canada". Edmonton Journal. December 23, 1972. p. 1.
- ^ McCuaig Desrochers LLP: Our History. Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Canadian Bar Association: Past-Presidents.
- ^ Law Society of Alberta Annual Report, 2006, p 14.
- ^ Canada's Higher Education and Career Guide: Dr. Stanley Harwood McCuaig Scholarship.