Brooke Claxton fonds [multiple media]

Fonds consists of correspondence series; Minister of National Defence series; research and reference series; speeches and speech material; Claxton family papers; memoirs and memoir notes; scrapbooks; diplomas and other awards; miscellaneous; legal papers; extracts. Fonds also contains photographic material depicting the childhood, schooling, military service, and political career of Hon. Brooke Claxton, M.P. Fonds also includes a poster entitled "Travail Précis - Riposte à l'ennemi" published for the Department of Munitions and Supplies in 1943; cartoons and drawings including a portrait, a cityscape and a caricature of Brooke Claxton. Specific works entitled "First World War Battle Field", "Portrait of Lord Watson", "Unidentified Cityscape" by Edmund Lewis Ellis, "Shopping for Militay Arms" by Leo Henry, "Meeting Himself on the Way Back" by Gordon F. Johnston. Fonds also includes caricatures by Jack Boothe and John Collins, prints by Herbert Raine and Samual Herbert Maw, a portrait drawing of Claxton done in Paris; print from the Conférence de la Paix, Paris, and a P.A. de Laszlo portrait print; print entitled "The Anglican Cathedral, St. John's Newfoundland" by Nicholas Hornyansky along with a print of a painting of sailors entitled "Putting Christmas trees on ship's mast" by Charles Anthony Law. Fonds also includes a sound recording of a talk given by the Honorable Brooke Claxton on the death of Air Vice Maeshall Breadner, 1952. Fonds consists of Newfoundland and Labrador road maps and a topographical map. Fonds also includes films of the Ottawa Philharmonic springtime party and a cornerstone laying ceremony.

Claxton, Brooke, 1898-1960: aHon. Brooke Claxton, Cabinet Minister and lawyer, was born in Montreal on August 23. He received his education at Lower Canada College and McGill University, graduating in law in 1921. He served as a battery sergeant-major with the 10th Siege Battery, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He practised law in Montreal and was part-time professor of commercial law at McGill until 1944. In 1939 he was created a King's Counsel. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1940 for St. Lawrence-St. George in Montreal and represented that constituency until he retired in 1954. In 1943 he became parliamentary assistant to Prime Minister King and in 1945 he joined the Cabinet as Minister of Health and Welfare. It was his responsibility to organize that department as well as administer the family allowance plan. In December 1946 he was appointed Minister of National Defence, a post he held until his retirement in 1954. In the defence portfolio, he was responsible for the integration of the army, airforce and navy into one department after the war. He represented Canada at many international gatherings including the Paris Peace Conference, 1946; the British Commonwealth Conference on Japan at Canberra, 1947; and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization meetings. He was vice-chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Newfoundland and, along with Prime Minister St. Laurent, signed the Terms of Union with Newfoundland on behalf of Canada in 1948. He became Vice-President and Canadian General Manager of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1954 and served as co-chairman of the Canada Council from 1957 until his death in June 1960. He was a longtime active member of the Canadian Institute for International Affairs, the Canadian Club of Montreal, Board of Governors of Lower Canada College as well as other organizations.

(1973-05-23)
110-020000-2
121-080231-7
1969-031 NPC
1970-0017 MISA
1970-130 NPC
1977-038 PIC
1977-235 NPC
1979-036 PIC
1982-155 PIC
1982-161 PIC
1983-161 NPC
1990-315 DAP
1993-401 X DAP
90-246
92-376

MG32-B5