Maurice Duplessis
(Joseph Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis)

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 1890.04.20 - Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.

DATE AND PLACE OF DEATH: 1959.09.07 - Schefferville, Quebec, Canada.

OCCUPATION: Lawyer.

POLITICAL PARTY:
Conservative Party of Quebec (Parti conservateur du Québec): 1927-1935.
Union Nationale (l'Union nationale): 1935-1959.

PREMIER OF QUEBEC:
28 August 1936 - 8 November 1939.
30 August 1944 - 7 September 1959 .

QUEBEC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Député):
1956.06.20 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1952.07.16 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1948.07.28 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1944.08.08 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1939.10.25 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1935.08.17 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1935.11.25 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1931.08.24 - Trois-Rivières - Re-Elected.
1927.05.16 - Trois-Rivières - Elected.
1923.02.05 - Trois-Rivières - Defeated.

Leader of the Opposition: 1932.11.07 - 1936.08.28 and 8 November 1939 - 30 August 1944.

SENIOR QUEBEC PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT:
Minister of Roads (1938.07.07 - 1938.11.30).
Minister of Lands and Forests (1937.02.23 - 1938.07.27)

PARTY LEADERSHIP:
Leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec (Parti Conservateur du Québec), October 1933 - November 1935. The PCQ finished third in the 1935 Quebec general election (19%), winning 17 seats (gain of 6 seats). Duplessis negotiated a coalition between the PCQ and the Action libérale nationale (ALN), a party of dissident reform Liberals and nationalists who had quit the governing Parti libéral du Québec, shortly before the 1935 elections. The ALN was second (30%) with 25 seats. Within weeks after the 1935 election, the PCQ and ALN combined to form a the Union Nationale.

Founder & Leader of the Union Nationale, November 1935 - September 1959. In 1936, the Union Nationale won 57%, captured 76 seats (gain of 34 seats) and won a governing majority. In 1939, the Union Nationale was second with 39%, captured 15 seats (loss of 61 seats) and was reduced to official opposition status. In 1944, the Union Nationale won 38%, 48 seats (gain of 33 seats) and a governing majority. In 1948, the Union Nationale won 51% and 82 seats (gain of 34 seats) and retained governing status. In 1952, the Union Nationale won 51% and 68 seats (loss of 14 seats) and retained governing status. In 1956, the Union Nationale won 52% and 72 seats (gain of 4 seats) and retained governing status.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Known as "Le Chef, " Duplessis was Premier of Quebec for a record-breaking five terms. As Premier, he made the fleur-de-lis flag the official flag of Quebec. Many historians describe the arguably authoritarian Duplessis era as "la grande noirceur" ("the great darkness").

WEBSITE: Assemblée nationale du Québec: Maurice Duplessis and CBC Archives: Maurice Duplessis