Lincoln Alexander

Lincoln Alexander, born on January twenty-first, nineteen twenty-two, in Toronto to Caribbean immigrant parents, was a trailblazer in Canadian politics and law. His remarkable journey began with his service in World War II, after which he pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University in nineteen forty-nine and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in nineteen fifty-three.

A member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Alexander made history in the nineteen sixty-eight federal election by becoming the first Black Canadian elected to the House of Commons. His political career flourished as he was appointed Minister of Labour in nineteen seventy-nine under Prime Minister Joe Clark, a role he held until the party's defeat in the nineteen eighty election.

Following his tenure in Parliament, he took on the significant role of Chair of the Worker's Compensation Board of Ontario. In nineteen eighty-five, he was appointed as the twenty-fourth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, serving until nineteen ninety-one. His influence extended beyond politics as he became Chancellor of the University of Guelph from nineteen ninety-one to two thousand seven, making history by serving five terms.

Lincoln Alexander passed away in two thousand twelve, leaving behind a legacy that was honored with a state funeral. In recognition of his contributions, Ryerson University’s faculty of law was renamed in his honor in two thousand twenty-one.