John Bracken (Inducted 2007)
Although Mr. John Bracken was born in a meagre log cabin in Leeds County in 1883, he eventually became the Premiere of Manitoba and the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Mr. Bracken received his Junior Matriculation from Brockville Collegiate in 1898. In 1902, he attended the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, graduating in 1906 with a Bachelor of Scientific Agriculture. He became a professor of Agriculture of the University of Saskatchewan and, in 1920, the Principal of the Manitoba Agricultural College.
In 1922, Mr. Bracken was asked by the “United Farmers of Manitoba” to become their leader and the Premiere of Manitoba. He remained Premiere until 1942, when he was invited to become the leader of the Conservative Party which he renamed the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1945 to 1948.
Mr. John Bracken died in 1969, however, he has been honoured posthumously on the 1979 Canada Day stamps featuring notable provincial premieres and by a plaque marking his birthplace, erected by the Government of Ontario and the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Council of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
John was married to Alice Wylie Bruce on the 22nd of June, 1909. They had four sons: Bruce, Doug, Gordon and George.