Marcus Hyman
Encyclopedia
Marcus Hyman, M.A., LL.B. (July 13, 1883—1938) was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1932 to 1938, representing the Independent Labour Party
.
Hyman was born to a Jewish family in Vilna, Poland
. His father, the Rabbi
Aaron Hyman, was the author of several works. The younger Hyman was educated at Worcester College, Oxford
, and received five scholarships during his time in England
. From 1910 to 1913, he worked as the private tutor to an India
prince. He came to Canada in 1913, and worked as a barrister-at-law, also lecturing at the Manitoba Law School from 1915 to 1921 in international law and legal history.
During World War I
, Hyman was president of the Western Canadian Relief Fund for the Relief of War Sufferers and, in 1917-18, chair of the Winnipeg Committee of the British and Canadian Recruiting Mission. The letter organization helped to raise men for combat in Egypt
and Palestine
. From 1923 to 1928, he was a member of the Winnipeg School Board.
Hyman's political career effectively began with the Winnipeg General Strike. He acted as defense council for the strikers, and defended a number of east European strikers accused of "foreign agitation". He continued his practice as a labour lawyer in the 1920s, and was a supporter of the One Big Union
.
He first sought election to the Manitoba legislature in the 1927 provincial election
, but finished third in Manitoba riding. He ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1930 and 1931, but lost on both occasions.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1932 election
, running as a candidate in the Winnipeg constituency. At the time, Winnipeg elected ten members by preferential balloting. Hyman finished ninth on the first count, and was subsequently declared elected. He served with his ILP colleagues on the opposition benches throughout his time in the legislature.
His re-election in the 1936 election
was not guaranteed, as the ILP faced strong opposition from the Communist Party and independent leftist Lewis St. George Stubbs
. Hyman again finished ninth on the first count, but had to wait for the sixteenth count to be confirmed as successful.
Hyman was one of the most respected members of the legislature, and spoke on subjects such as education, civil liberties and labour legislation. He was an early supporter of larger school units for the province, considering the local units to be ineffective. Hyman also endorsed the creation of Riding Mountain National Park.
He is remembered particularly for having co-sponsored the province's Anti-Defamation Bill, which allowed members of a racial or religious group to sue for an injunction against a defaming publisher or author. Known as the "Hyman Act", this bill was supported the John Bracken
government and given unanimous passage in 1934.
He died in 1938, while still a member of the legislature.
The University of Manitoba
offers a Marcus Hyman Memorial Scholarship. One past winner of the scholarship was Larry Zolf
.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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 in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1932 to 1938, representing the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)
Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
.
Hyman was born to a Jewish family in Vilna, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. His father, the Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Aaron Hyman, was the author of several works. The younger Hyman was educated at Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
, and received five scholarships during his time in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. From 1910 to 1913, he worked as the private tutor to an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
prince. He came to Canada in 1913, and worked as a barrister-at-law, also lecturing at the Manitoba Law School from 1915 to 1921 in international law and legal history.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hyman was president of the Western Canadian Relief Fund for the Relief of War Sufferers and, in 1917-18, chair of the Winnipeg Committee of the British and Canadian Recruiting Mission. The letter organization helped to raise men for combat in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. From 1923 to 1928, he was a member of the Winnipeg School Board.
Hyman's political career effectively began with the Winnipeg General Strike. He acted as defense council for the strikers, and defended a number of east European strikers accused of "foreign agitation". He continued his practice as a labour lawyer in the 1920s, and was a supporter of the One Big Union
One Big Union (Canada)
The One Big Union was a Canadian syndicalist trade union active primarily in the Western part of the country. It was formally founded in Calgary on June 4, 1919 but lost most members by 1922. It finally merged into the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956.-Background:Towards the end of World War I, a...
.
He first sought election to the Manitoba legislature in the 1927 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1927
Manitoba's general election of 28 June 1927 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the first election in Manitoba history to elect members through a single transferable ballot in all constituencies...
, but finished third in Manitoba riding. He ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1930 and 1931, but lost on both occasions.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1932 election
Manitoba general election, 1932
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1932 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the second election in Manitoba where the single transferable ballot was used in all electoral divisions...
, running as a candidate in the Winnipeg constituency. At the time, Winnipeg elected ten members by preferential balloting. Hyman finished ninth on the first count, and was subsequently declared elected. He served with his ILP colleagues on the opposition benches throughout his time in the legislature.
His re-election in the 1936 election
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
was not guaranteed, as the ILP faced strong opposition from the Communist Party and independent leftist Lewis St. George Stubbs
Lewis St. George Stubbs
Lewis St. George Stubbs was a prominent judge and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1936 to 1949 as an Independent, and was known for promoting left-wing and socially progressive causes.Stubbs was born on the island of Cockburn Harbour in the...
. Hyman again finished ninth on the first count, but had to wait for the sixteenth count to be confirmed as successful.
Hyman was one of the most respected members of the legislature, and spoke on subjects such as education, civil liberties and labour legislation. He was an early supporter of larger school units for the province, considering the local units to be ineffective. Hyman also endorsed the creation of Riding Mountain National Park.
He is remembered particularly for having co-sponsored the province's Anti-Defamation Bill, which allowed members of a racial or religious group to sue for an injunction against a defaming publisher or author. Known as the "Hyman Act", this bill was supported the John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
government and given unanimous passage in 1934.
He died in 1938, while still a member of the legislature.
The University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
offers a Marcus Hyman Memorial Scholarship. One past winner of the scholarship was Larry Zolf
Larry Zolf
Larry Zolf was a Canadian journalist and commentator.Zolf was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He earned a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg, and then received a Masters degree in Canadian history from the University of Toronto. In 1962, he joined the CBC...
.