William Tetley

William Tetley, born on February tenth, nineteen twenty-seven, was a distinguished lawyer, politician, and literary critic. He began his academic journey at the Royal Canadian Naval College before serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. He later graduated from McGill University with a bachelor's degree and obtained a law degree from Université Laval, being admitted to the Bar of Quebec in nineteen fifty-two. That same year, he began his career as a literary critic, contributing to notable publications such as the Montreal Star and the Montreal Gazette.

For eighteen years, Tetley practiced law, becoming a partner in the prominent Montreal firm Martineau, Walker, Allison, Beaulieu, Tetley and Phelan. His political career began in nineteen sixty-five when he was elected as a councillor in Mount Royal, Quebec. He transitioned to provincial politics in nineteen sixty-eight, winning a by-election as the Liberal Party's representative for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Following a successful provincial election in nineteen seventy, he was appointed Minister of Revenue, later serving as Minister of Financial Institutions, Companies, Cooperatives, and Consumer Protection, where he was instrumental in establishing Quebec's first consumer protection act.

In July nineteen seventy-five, Tetley took on the role of Minister of Public Works & Supply until his retirement from politics in November nineteen seventy-six. He then returned to academia as a professor at McGill University's faculty of law. His contributions to public affairs and legal matters extended beyond his political career, as he authored several books and articles for Canadian, UK, and American newspapers. In nineteen ninety-five, he was honored as a Member of the Order of Canada, and in December two thousand six, his book, The October Crisis, nineteen seventy: An Insider's View, was published by McGill-Queen's University Press.

Beyond his professional achievements, Tetley was an avid art collector and served on the board of directors of the McCord Museum of Canadian History. He was also actively involved in the Boy Scouts of Canada, receiving the Boy Scouts of Canada Medal in nineteen sixty-nine. William Tetley shared his life with his lifelong companion, Rosslyn Tetley, who passed away on January fourteenth, two thousand sixteen, at the age of eighty-one.