Stanley H. Knowles

1977

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: 1908.06.18 - Los Angeles, California, United States.

DATE AND PLACE OF DEATH: 1997.06.09 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

OCCUPATION: United Church Minister. Canadian Labour Congress organizer (1958-1962). Chancellor, Brandon University (1970-1990).

POLITICAL PARTY:
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF): 1935-1961.
New Democratic Party (NDP): 1961-1997.

HOUSE OF COMMONS:
1984 - Retired, did not seek re-election.
1980.02.18 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1979.05.22 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1974.07.08 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1972.10.30 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1968.06.25 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1965.11.08 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1963.04.08 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1962.06.18 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1958.03.31 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Defeated.
1957.06.10 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1953.08.10 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1949.06.27 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1945.06.11 - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Re-Elected.
1942.11.30 (By) - Winnipeg North Centre, Manitoba - Elected.
1940.03.26 - Springfield, Manitoba - Defeated.
1935.10.14 - Winnipeg South Centre, Manitoba - Defeated.

NDP House Leader: 1962-1981 (resigned as House Leader following a serious stroke in 1981).

WINNIPEG (MB) CITY COUNCIL:
Elected as Alderman: Served 1941-1942.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Prime Minister John Diefenbacker (PC) offered Knowles the position of Speaker of the House of Commons in 1957, although Knowles declined the position.

Starting after the 1958 defeat of the CCF, Knowles and David Lewis developed the strategy to create a new national party that would unite the old CCF with the labour movement (CLC). This entity -- given the interim name of "The New Party" -- was launched as the New Democratic Party in 1961.

Appointed to the Queen's Privy Council by Prime Minister Joe Clark in 1979.

Knowles was Canada's longest serving member of the House of Commons. Known as "The Conscience of the House" and an expert on House parliamentary rules, he fought for four decades to win improved pensions, public housing, and other benefits for Canada's elderly, poor and unemployed.