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William McNamara (politician)
Encyclopedia
William James McNamara was a politician in Alberta
, Canada
, a mayor of both Edmonton
and Wetaskiwin, Alberta
, and the first mayor of Edmonton to be forced from office over a scandal.
on December 27, 1879. He was educated at Saint Laurent College in Montreal
and came to Edmonton in 1886. In 1900 he was hired as the first teacher at Lone Spruce School, an Edmonton boys' school. In 1905 he formed a real estate partnership with Lorne York that acquired real estate in Camrose
, Wetaskiwin
, and Edmonton.
He was elected mayor of Wetaskiwin in 1909. After returning to Edmonton, he ran for mayor in the 1913 election
, in which he defeated incumbent William Short
, receiving 50.2% of the vote in the two person race. In doing so, he became both the first person in Edmonton's history to defeat a sitting mayor and the winner of the closest mayor election in the city's history, a record that still stands.
In office, he formed an alliance with future mayor Joseph Clarke
(then an alderman) against those who wanted to drive prostitution and gambling out of the city. McNamara fired both the police chief and the head of the morality squad. His alliance with Clarke ended when the two came to blows in a meeting of Edmonton City Council
.
Later in his term, he was convicted by Justice William Ives of voting on a matter in which he had a pecuniary interest and was, along with alderman James East
, expelled from office on October 27, 1914. He stayed out of politics thereafter. He moved to Detroit, Michigan
on November 19, 1915.
McNamara died on January 1, 1947 at 3:55 PM in Phoenix, Arizona
of heart failure. He had lived in Arizona for the previous 24 years and had worked as a real estate agent.
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...
, a mayor of both Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Wetaskiwin is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw , meaning "the hills where peace was made"....
, and the first mayor of Edmonton to be forced from office over a scandal.
Biography
McNamara was born in Renfrew, OntarioRenfrew, Ontario
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...
on December 27, 1879. He was educated at Saint Laurent College in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and came to Edmonton in 1886. In 1900 he was hired as the first teacher at Lone Spruce School, an Edmonton boys' school. In 1905 he formed a real estate partnership with Lorne York that acquired real estate in Camrose
Camrose, Alberta
Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...
, Wetaskiwin
Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Wetaskiwin is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw , meaning "the hills where peace was made"....
, and Edmonton.
He was elected mayor of Wetaskiwin in 1909. After returning to Edmonton, he ran for mayor in the 1913 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1913
The 1913 municipal election was held December 8, 1913 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, trustees to sit on the public school board, and four trustees to sit on the separate school board....
, in which he defeated incumbent William Short
William Short (Alberta politician)
William Short was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a two time mayor of Edmonton.-Biography:Short was born July 11, 1866 near Elora, Ontario and studied law at the University of Toronto before coming to Alberta in 1889. He articled to James Alexander Lougheed from 1891 until 1894, when he was...
, receiving 50.2% of the vote in the two person race. In doing so, he became both the first person in Edmonton's history to defeat a sitting mayor and the winner of the closest mayor election in the city's history, a record that still stands.
In office, he formed an alliance with future mayor Joseph Clarke
Joseph Clarke
Joseph Andrew Clarke was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served twice as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, was a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and was a member of the Yukon Territorial Council .-Early life:Clarke was born in...
(then an alderman) against those who wanted to drive prostitution and gambling out of the city. McNamara fired both the police chief and the head of the morality squad. His alliance with Clarke ended when the two came to blows in a meeting of Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
.
Later in his term, he was convicted by Justice William Ives of voting on a matter in which he had a pecuniary interest and was, along with alderman James East
James East
James East was a politician and labour activist in Alberta, Canada. He was for a time and the longest-serving alderman in Edmonton's history, and was a defeated candidate at the provincial and federal levels. He was also an ardent monetary reformer.-Early life:East was born in Bolton, Ontario on...
, expelled from office on October 27, 1914. He stayed out of politics thereafter. He moved to Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on November 19, 1915.
McNamara died on January 1, 1947 at 3:55 PM in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
of heart failure. He had lived in Arizona for the previous 24 years and had worked as a real estate agent.