Walter George Brown

For other people with the same name, see Walter Brown.

They may rob us of name, they may hunt us with beagles,
Give our roofs to the flame and our flesh to the eagles...
While there are leaves on the forest or foam on the river,
MacGregor despite them shall flourish forever!

At the 1925 General Assembly, Brown was one of 79 Commissioners who refused to join the United Church, and met in a corner of Toronto's College Street United Church at the conclusion on June 9 in order to resume business later that night at nearby Knox Presbyterian Church and legally claim their continuity. ^[2]

Political career

He remained in Saskatchewan throughout the Dust Bowl drought years of the Great Depression and, late in the decade, organized the left-wing United Reform Movement as a political party calling for relief.

Brown was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Saskatoon City in a December 1939 by-election, spent one day in Parliament before dissolution, was re-elected two months later in the 1940 general election with the support of both the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Tory National Government party, but died of complications from a heart attack, a few days after his victory. He was not able to travel from Ottawa to his riding to campaign. ^[2]

Agnes MacPhail, who introduced Brown to the floor of the House of Commons on 25 January 1940, was eventually recruited by the URM to succeed him, but she was defeated in the subsequent by-election later that year.

Later Presbyterian career

Brown left Red Deer later that year to oversee the re-organization of some Presbyterians in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that had voted against joining the United Church. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Saskatoon was formed under his pastoral leadership, and remains the largest PCC congregation within the province.

In June 1931, he was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, and during his Moderatorial year, travelled to Asia, and visited Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Manchuria portion of China.

Reverend Walter George Brown is one of the few Moderators of the Presbyterian Church who was or is not a Reverend Doctor; he refused to accept Honorary Doctorates from his alma mater, nor Toronto's Knox College. He died on April 1, 1940 out of heart attack ^[2] while in office ^[1] and the funeral took place in Ottawa, and is buried at the Athelstan Presbyterian Cemetery.

References

1. "Rev. Walter George Brown, M.P." Library of the Canadian Parliament. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
2. Hackett, Byron (5 April 2023). "DAWE: Walter George Brown's impact on Red Deer". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
3. Smith, Neil G. A Short History of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. p. 85.

Further reading

• Brown of Red Deer, by Allan L. Farris, pp. 146–148, Growth—A History and Anthology of the Synod of Alberta of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1968. Editor, R.J. Burton.
• Neil G. Smith, 1925 and After, pp. 85, A Short History of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1968. Allan L. Farris, J. Keith Markell, and Neil G. Smith, editors.
• J. Keith Markell, A History of the Presbyterian College, Montreal. 1986.
• Acts and Proceedings of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Reports: Presbyterian College, Montreal (1899-1903), Home Missions Reports (1901-1906) Obituary Notice, 1940.
• Canadian Press Release, April 2, 1940: "TWICE ELECTED M.P., SITS 4 HOURS, DIES; Rev. W.G. Brown, Saskatoon, Wins 2 Campaigns, Attended One Session"
• Armour, James S. S.; Kashul, Judith A.; Klempa, William; Marr, Lucille; Shute, Dan (29 September 2015). Still Voices--Still Heard: Sermons, Addresses, Letters, and Reports The Presbyterian College, Montreal, 1865-2015. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN   978-1-4982-0831-4.

External links

• Walter George Brown fonds - Library and Archives Canada
• Brown of Red Deer
• Walter George Brown – Parliament of Canada biography

Walter Brown
Member of Parliament for Saskatoon City
In office 1939–1940

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