Clarence Edgar Gerhart (December 24, 1897 – May 10, 1965) was a provincial politician from

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Canada. He served as a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected first past the post f ...

from 1940 to 1955, sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government.

Early life

Gerhart was born in Novar, Ontario in 1897 to Henry Franklin Gerhart and Lillian Thomas. He attended the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

where he earned a Ph.C., and worked as a chemist and accountant. Gerhart would be married on June 29, 1921, to Mary Gelina Chambers and have three children, including Edgar Gerhart who would serve in the Alberta Legislature with his father. Gerhart would serve as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1918, and a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in The King's Own Calgary Regiment during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

from 1941 to 1946.

Political career

Gerhart would be elected Mayor of

Coronation, Alberta Coronation is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Paintearth No. 18. It is located at the intersection of Alberta Highway 12, Highway 12 and Alberta Highway 872, Highway 872, approximately west of the Saska ...

three times. Clarence Gerhart would contest the

1940 Alberta general election The 1940 Alberta general election was held on March 21, 1940, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Despite its failure to implement its key policy, providing prosperity certificates to all Albertans, the Social Credit Part ...

in the Acadia-Coronation electoral district as a member of the Social Credit Party, defeating Independent candidate George N. Johnston, who previously served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Cooperative Commonwealth candidate Mrs. R. Johnston on a run-off count. Gerhart would subsequently be re-elected three more times, again in

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

, and acclaimed in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

. Gerhart would be defeated in the 1955 Alberta general election by

Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party () is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1905, it is the oldest active political party in Alberta and was the dominant political party until the 1921 election, with the first three provincial ...

candidate James Leland Sims on a run-off count. Gerhart would serve in

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Ernest Manning's cabinet in the role of Minister of Municipal Affairs from 1943 to 1954, Minister of Trade and Industry from 1944 to 1948, Provincial Secretary from 1948 to 1955, and Provincial Treasurer from 1954 to 1955.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerhart, Clarence Alberta Social Credit Party MLAs 1965 deaths 1897 births Members of the Executive Council of Alberta 20th-century mayors of places in Alberta Royal Air Force officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Canadian military personnel of World War II Canadian Army officers King's Own Calgary Regiment officers 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta