Athanase David

Louis-Athanase David (June 24, 1882 – January 26, 1953)[1] was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and businessman. He was a cabinet minister in the Provincial Parliament of Quebec, representing the riding of Terrebonne and serving as Provincial Secretary.[2] He was later a member of the Canadian Senate.

Athanase David
Senator for Saurel, Quebec
In office
1940–1953
Appointed byWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded byJoseph-Marcellin Wilson
Succeeded byMarianna Beauchamp Jodoin
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for Terrebonne
In office
1916–1936
Preceded byJean Prévost
Succeeded byHermann Barrette
In office
1939–1940
Preceded byHermann Barrette
Succeeded byHector-Joseph-Damase Perrier
Personal details
Born
Louis-Athanase David

(1882-06-24)June 24, 1882
Montreal, Quebec
DiedJanuary 26, 1953(1953-01-26) (aged 70)
Political partyLiberal

Early life

David was born in Montreal;[3] He was the son of Laurent-Olivier David, a Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician.[4] He received a law degree from Université Laval and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1905.

Career

David began practising law in 1905, and was a partner in the law firm of Elliott & David. He joined the Liberal party, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1916 as the Liberal Party member for the Terrebonne riding, serving until 1936.[5] David directed the Department of Education,[6] and in 1930 he sponsored a controversial bill which would have created a separate Jewish school board in Quebec.[7]

David did not run in the 1936 election, but was elected again in 1939.[8]

David created the Prix Athanase-David literary prize in 1922.[2][9] In 1923 was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the government of France; he was made an Officer in 1925 and a Commander in 1934.

A sports fan, David was president of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club from 1930 to 1935. The club won three Stanley Cups during his tenure in 1924, 1930, and 1931. In 1928 he partnered with Montreal stockbroker Ernest Savard and American baseball executive George Stallings to revive the Montreal Royals baseball franchise as part of the International League and to build Delorimier Stadium.

David resigned from the provincial government in February 1940 to accept an appointment as Senator in the Parliament of Canada where he served until his death in 1953.[3][8]

1935 ballot controversy

In the 1935 election, David's victory was contested on the ground that the ballot papers were not printed in the form prescribed under the Election Act. At the subsequent hearing, the judge ruled that all cast ballots were declared void. Immediately afterwards, the returning officer announced that, as this resulted in a 0-0 tie, he cast his deciding vote in favour of David.[10][11]

Votes cast in Terrebonne (1935)
CandidateInitial
count[12]		As determined by
Returning Officer[13]
Liberal Athanase David 4,893 1
Conservative Hermann Barrette 4,170 –
Majority 720 1

The returning officer's action was considered to have been without precedent anywhere in the world in countries with parliamentary-style legislatures.[14] The Conservatives lodged an appeal,[14] but the result was upheld by the Quebec Court of Appeal in April 1936.[15] David would become the only member of the Assembly in Quebec history to be elected on only one cast vote.[16]

Personal

David was married to Antonia Nantel (known as Madame Athanase David), who was an arts administrator and patron in Montreal. He helped her in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 1934 and the Montreal Festivals in 1936.[17][18] Their son, Paul David, was a cardiologist and later Canadian senator. His granddaughter is Françoise David.

See also

References
  1. "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
  2. Lyn Harrington. Syllables of Recorded Time: The Story of the Canadian Authors Association 1921–1981. Dundurn; 1 August 1981. ISBN 978-1-4597-1362-8. p. 60–.
  3. Joseph Graham. Naming the Laurentians: A History of Place Names 'up North'. Les Editions Main Street Inc; 2005. ISBN 978-0-9739586-0-7. p. 193–.
  4. Embattled Nation: Canada's Wartime Election of 1917. Dundurn; 7 October 2017. ISBN 978-1-4597-3727-3. p. 181–.
  5. Marcel Baril: Figure Énigmatique de L'art Québécois. Presses Université Laval; 2002. ISBN 978-2-7637-7648-4. p. 193–.
  6. The Dalhousie Review. Vol. 4. Dalhousie University Press; 1924. p. 150.
  7. Ira Robinson. A History of Antisemitism in Canada. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press; 14 December 2015. ISBN 978-1-77112-167-5. p. 62–.
  8. Serge Laurin. Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts: un siècle et demi d'histoire. Presses Université Laval; 2002. ISBN 978-2-7637-7914-0. p. 135–.
  9. Jeffery Vacante. National Manhood and the Creation of Modern Quebec. UBC Press; 15 June 2017. ISBN 978-0-7748-3466-7. p. 84–.
  10. "M. le juge Guibeault déclare nulle l'élection de Terrebonne. L'officier-rapporteur élit M. David" [Judge Guibault voids the Terrebonne election. The Returning Officer elects David]. Le Devoir (in French). December 16, 1935. pp. 1, 3.
  11. "Terrebonne votes all found illegal". Montreal Gazette. December 17, 1935. p. 6.
  12. "Le juge Guibault continue le recomptage du scrutin dans le comté de Terrebonne" [Judge Guibault is continuing the recount in Terrebonne]. Le Devoir (in French). December 6, 1935. p. 1.
  13. "Election results (Terrebonne)". assnat.qc.ca. National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  14. "Unionists act quickly to bar David election". Montreal Gazette. December 17, 1935. pp. 1, 6.
  15. "David wins round in election fight". Montreal Gazette. April 14, 1936. p. 4.
  16. "Athanase David (1882-1953)". La Revue de Terrebonne (in French). March 21, 2014.
  17. Madame Athanase David at The Canadian Encyclopedia
  18. Paul Helmer. Growing with Canada: The ƒmigrŽ Tradition in Canadian Music. McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP; 22 June 2014. ISBN 978-0-7735-7624-7. p. 95–.
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