Mark Robert Drouin

Mark Robert Drouin, born on October twenty-fourth, nineteen oh three, in Quebec City, was a distinguished Canadian politician and lawyer. He received his education at the Séminaire de Québec and Université Laval, where he trained as a lawyer and was called to the Quebec bar in nineteen twenty-six. Drouin eventually became the senior partner in the law firm of Drouin, Drouin, Bernier and Vaillancourt, and he took on the role of secretary of the Quebec bar in nineteen thirty-four.

In addition to his legal career, Drouin was a passionate hockey enthusiast, serving as vice-president of Quebec's senior amateur hockey league for over two decades. His contributions extended beyond sports; he was a director of the National School of Theatre and played a significant role in securing the 1967 World's Fair for Montreal, an event that became known as Expo sixty-seven.

Drouin's political journey began when he ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the nineteen forty-nine federal election against Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, though he was defeated by a margin of eighteen thousand votes. He held various leadership positions within the Quebec Conservative Association and was the first vice-president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in nineteen fifty-five, notably being the only French Canadian to support John Diefenbaker's candidacy at the nineteen fifty-six leadership convention.

Following the Conservatives' victory in the nineteen fifty-seven federal election, Diefenbaker appointed Drouin to the Senate of Canada on October fourth, nineteen fifty-seven, and named him Speaker of the Senate despite his lack of parliamentary experience. During his tenure, he served as joint-president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and chaired both the Canada-NATO Parliamentary Association and the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Association.

Drouin retired as Speaker in nineteen sixty-two and was appointed to the Privy Council. He passed away a year later, leaving behind a legacy of public service and dedication to both law and politics.