John Michael Uhrich
Encyclopedia
John Michael Uhrich, M.D., (June 7, 1877 – June 15, 1951), was the ninth Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
from 1948 until 1951.
Uhrich was born in Formosa, Ontario
and received his schooling in Walkerton
and was briefly a schoolteacher before earning his medical degree at Northwestern University
in Chicago
.
During his summer breaks from university he would teach school in Saskatchewan
. After graduation, he decided to settle in the province and established his medical practice at Hague, Saskatchewan
in 1909.
He entered politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
in the 1921 provincial election
as the Liberal
MLA for Rosthern.
Uhrich was appointed to the provincial cabinet
in 1922 by Premier Charles Dunning and served as provincial secretary
until 1923 when he was appointed the province's first Minister of Public Health. Under Uhrich the province expanded its role in the hospital system, which had been largely locally run to that point, and increased the number of hospitals. He also began public inspection of water and milk supplies and immunization
programs against diphtheria
and smallpox
. In 1929, the government assumed the cost of treating tuberculosis
.
After being re-elected in the 1925 provincial election
the Liberal government was defeated in 1929
and Uhrich, who was personally re-elected, moved to the opposition benches.
The Liberals returned to power in 1934
and Uhrich again became Minister of Public Health. In 1938, he was given the additional portfolio of Public Works.
He retired from politics in 1944 and was appointed lieutenant governor
in 1948. He died, in office, in 1951.
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
from 1948 until 1951.
Uhrich was born in Formosa, Ontario
Formosa, Ontario
Formosa is a community located in the municipality of South Bruce, in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.Prominent features of Formosa include:* a hilltop church built from 1875-1883...
and received his schooling in Walkerton
Walkerton, Ontario
Walkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County...
and was briefly a schoolteacher before earning his medical degree at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
During his summer breaks from university he would teach school in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. After graduation, he decided to settle in the province and established his medical practice at Hague, Saskatchewan
Hague, Saskatchewan
-Location:-External links:*...
in 1909.
He entered politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
in the 1921 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
as the Liberal
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
MLA for Rosthern.
Uhrich was appointed to the provincial cabinet
Executive Council of Saskatchewan
The Executive Council of Saskatchewan is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
in 1922 by Premier Charles Dunning and served as provincial secretary
Provincial Secretary
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867...
until 1923 when he was appointed the province's first Minister of Public Health. Under Uhrich the province expanded its role in the hospital system, which had been largely locally run to that point, and increased the number of hospitals. He also began public inspection of water and milk supplies and immunization
Immunization
Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent ....
programs against diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. In 1929, the government assumed the cost of treating tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
After being re-elected in the 1925 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1925
The Saskatchewan general election of 1925 was the sixth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 2, 1925 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
the Liberal government was defeated in 1929
Saskatchewan general election, 1929
The Saskatchewan general election of 1929 was the seventh provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 6, 1929 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and Uhrich, who was personally re-elected, moved to the opposition benches.
The Liberals returned to power in 1934
Saskatchewan general election, 1934
The Saskatchewan general election of 1934 was the eighth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
and Uhrich again became Minister of Public Health. In 1938, he was given the additional portfolio of Public Works.
He retired from politics in 1944 and was appointed lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
in 1948. He died, in office, in 1951.