Melvin James McQuaid was a Progressive Conservative party

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....

 member of the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

. He was born in Souris, Prince Edward Island

Souris, Prince Edward Island

Souris is a Canadian port town in northeastern Kings County, Prince Edward Island. It is located in an area famous for its beaches and potatoes, containing the majority of Prince Edward Island's potato manufacturers.-History:...

 and became a lawyer and clerk by career.

McQuaid attended Saint Dunstan's University

Saint Dunstan's University

St. Dunstan's University is a former university which was located on the northern outskirts of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. SDU merged with Prince of Wales College in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island.St...

, St. Francis Xavier University

St. Francis Xavier University

St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...

 and Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...

.

In 1957, he became town clerk for Souris. He served in provincial politics as a Councillor of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....

 for 1st Kings

1st Kings

1st Kings was an electoral district in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, which elected two members to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1873 to 1993.The district comprised the easternmost portion of Kings County....

 District from 1959 to 1962, including functions as provincial treasurer and Attorney General.

He was first elected at the King's

King's (Prince Edward Island electoral district)

King's was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 1968.This riding was created from King's County riding....

 riding in the 1965 general election

Canadian federal election, 1965

The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...

, and re-elected at the Cardigan

Cardigan (electoral district)

Cardigan is a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 98.5% White, 1.1% Native Canadian...

 riding in the 1968 election

Canadian federal election, 1968

The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...

.

After serving his terms in the 27th

27th Canadian Parliament

The 27th Canadian Parliament was in session from January 18, 1966 until April 23, 1968. The membership was set by the 1965 federal election on November 8, 1965, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1968 election.It was controlled by a...

 and 28th Canadian Parliament

28th Canadian Parliament

The 28th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 12, 1968 until September 1, 1972. The membership was set by the 1968 federal election on June 25, 1968, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1972 election.It was controlled by...

s, McQuaid returned to provincial politics to become leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative party which was the Opposition party. He once again became a Councillor for the 1st Kings electoral district from 1972 until 1976. After leaving provincial office, McQuaid was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island

Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island

The Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island is the top court in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island and the highest Court of Appeals in the province....

. After his retirement from the court in 1981, he served on the National Parole Board.

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