Lincoln M. Alexander

Born: January 21, 1922
Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario

• Lincoln Alexander became the first black man to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in Canada.

• His parents immigrated from the West Indies to Canada; his father working as a railway porter and his mother a maid.

• In 1942, Alexander joined the Royal Canadian Air Force serving during World War II.

• Following the war, he attended McMaster University receiving a B.A. degree (History and Political Economy) in 1949.

• In 1953, Lincoln Alexander graduated with a law degree from Osgood Hall Law School.

• He joined a law firm and practiced until 1968 when he won a seat for the Progressive Conservative party in Ottawa.

• Alexander was a competent politician, winning four elections, and became the Minister of Labour for the Clark government in 1979.

• He resigned in 1980 to become Chairman of the Ontario Workers' Compensation Board

• In 1985, Lincoln Alexander accepted the role of Ontario's Lieutenant Governor marking a significant date in Canada;s history.

• In this role, he became an active leader in Ontario's multicultural movement.

• Following his duties as Lieutenant Governor, he was appointed Chancellor at the University of Guelph.

• Because he championed youth and education, Ontario introduced a special award program named after Lincoln Alexander.

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Last Updated: February 18, 2011
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