Edgar Gerhart
Encyclopedia
Edgar Henry Gerhart was a lawyer judge and provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1952 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office he served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Ernest Manning
and Harry Strom
from 1967 to 1971.
, Alberta
. His father was Clarence Gerhart. He married his wife Margaret Tiffin on March 4, 1944 at Calgary
.
. He won a seat as a Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Edmonton taking the fifth place seat.
Gerhart ran for a second term in office in the 1955 Alberta general election
. He was re-elected winning the final seat in the district.
The Edmonton electoral district was broken up into single member riding's in the 1959 Boundary Redistribution. Gerhart ran for re-election in the new electoral district of Edmonton North West. He faced a hotly contested race for the new seat and was nearly defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Ned Feehan. Gerhart won the four way race with about 40% of the popular vote.
A year later Gerhart ran for a seat as Alderman in the 1960 Edmonton election
without resigning his provincial seat. He was defeated finishing 12th out of 15 candidates.
Gerhart ran for a fourth term in office in the 1963 Alberta general election
. He faced Feehan for the second time as well as future MLA Grant Notley
in the four way race. The opposition vote collapsed while Gerhart's vote held he retained his seat easily.
Gerhart stood for a fifth term in the 1967 Alberta general election
. He faced a hotly contested five way race and almost lost his seat to Progressive Conservative candidate Paul Norris. He managed to hang on with a plurality of about 400 votes.
Premier Ernest Manning appointed Gerhart to the Executive Council of Alberta
on June 29, 1967. His first cabinet portfolio was Municipal Affairs. He served that until July 16, 1968 when he left to run for leadership of the Social Credit Party.
Gerhart would finish fifth out of six in the 1968 leadership election. He would not run on the second ballot. The winner of the election Harry Strom
appointed Gerhart to serve as Attorney General on December 10, 1968. Two days later he would also get the Municipal Affairs portfolio back. He would hold that portfolio until May 27, 1969.
The 1971 boundary redistribution would see Edmonton North West abolished. Gerhart ran for a sixth term in office in the election held that year
in the new electoral district of Edmonton-Calder
but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Tom Chambers
.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1952 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office he served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
and Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...
from 1967 to 1971.
Early life
Edgar Henry Gerhart was born on December 18, 1923 in the town of DrumhellerDrumheller, Alberta
Drumheller is a town within the Red Deer River valley in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. His father was Clarence Gerhart. He married his wife Margaret Tiffin on March 4, 1944 at Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
Political career
Gerhart ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1952 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1952
The Alberta general election of 1952 was the twelfth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 5, 1952 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
. He won a seat as a Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Edmonton taking the fifth place seat.
Gerhart ran for a second term in office in the 1955 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1955
The Alberta general election of 1955 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1955 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He was re-elected winning the final seat in the district.
The Edmonton electoral district was broken up into single member riding's in the 1959 Boundary Redistribution. Gerhart ran for re-election in the new electoral district of Edmonton North West. He faced a hotly contested race for the new seat and was nearly defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Ned Feehan. Gerhart won the four way race with about 40% of the popular vote.
A year later Gerhart ran for a seat as Alderman in the 1960 Edmonton election
Edmonton municipal election, 1960
The 1960 Edmonton, Alberta municipal election was held October 19, 1960 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
without resigning his provincial seat. He was defeated finishing 12th out of 15 candidates.
Gerhart ran for a fourth term in office in the 1963 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...
. He faced Feehan for the second time as well as future MLA Grant Notley
Grant Notley
Walter Grant Notley was a provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1984 and also served as leader of the Alberta NDP from 1968 to 1984....
in the four way race. The opposition vote collapsed while Gerhart's vote held he retained his seat easily.
Gerhart stood for a fifth term in the 1967 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He faced a hotly contested five way race and almost lost his seat to Progressive Conservative candidate Paul Norris. He managed to hang on with a plurality of about 400 votes.
Premier Ernest Manning appointed Gerhart to the Executive Council of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
on June 29, 1967. His first cabinet portfolio was Municipal Affairs. He served that until July 16, 1968 when he left to run for leadership of the Social Credit Party.
Gerhart would finish fifth out of six in the 1968 leadership election. He would not run on the second ballot. The winner of the election Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...
appointed Gerhart to serve as Attorney General on December 10, 1968. Two days later he would also get the Municipal Affairs portfolio back. He would hold that portfolio until May 27, 1969.
The 1971 boundary redistribution would see Edmonton North West abolished. Gerhart ran for a sixth term in office in the election held that year
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
in the new electoral district of Edmonton-Calder
Edmonton-Calder
Edmonton-Calder is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. It is currently represented by Progressive Conservative MLA Doug Elniski.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :...
but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Tom Chambers
Tom Chambers (politician)
Thomas "Tom" William Chambers is a former provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1986...
.