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| (9 Aug. 1882-19 June 1942), businessman. (Dr W. L. McDougald, Senator McDougald) Born in Alexandria, GC. Parents: John A. McDougald and his wife Annie (Nancy) Chisholm. He was educated at the separate schools in Alexandria and Cornwall, the Cornwall high school, and McGill University and Queen’s University. His medical degree was from Queen’s University, 1907. He practised medicine briefly in Northern Ontario, but while there, as his entry in //Who’s Who// recorded, he became “interested in commercial and mining pursuits.” Thereafter his life was in business, not medicine. He was in business for a year in New York, then settled in Sept. 1909 in Montreal, the city which was to be his base during the remainder of his business career. | (9 Aug. 1882-19 June 1942), businessman. (Dr W. L. McDougald, Senator McDougald) Born in Alexandria, GC. Parents: John A. McDougald and his wife Annie (Nancy) Chisholm. He was educated at the separate schools in Alexandria and Cornwall, the Cornwall high school, and McGill University and Queen’s University. His medical degree was from Queen’s University, 1907. He practised medicine briefly in Northern Ontario, but while there, as his entry in //Who’s Who// recorded, he became “interested in commercial and mining pursuits.” Thereafter his life was in business, not medicine. He was in business for a year in New York, then settled in Sept. 1909 in Montreal, the city which was to be his base during the remainder of his business career. |
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| <tab>Becoming “associated” (as the term is in his //Who’s Who// entry) with the Ogdensburg Coal and Towing Co. (which was owned by his father-in-law), McDougald was its manager at Montreal 1911-1917, and its president from 1917. He was president of the Montreal Harbour Commission from 1921 to 1930. Also, he was chairman of the board of the Beauharnois Power Corp, and a director of the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines. (For the family connection with the Hollinger interest, see the entries for his sister Mrs McMartin, and for her husband John McMartin and for the younger John A. McDougald. For his other family connections, see the entry for his brother A. W. McDougald.) Likewise, he was a director of Dominion Steel Corp., British Empire Steel and Canada Steamship Lines. He was wealthy enough and socially prominent enough to entertain the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII. | <tab>Becoming “associated” (as the term is in his //Who’s Who// entry) with the Ogdensburg Coal and Towing Co. (which was owned by his father-in-law), McDougald was its manager at Montreal 1911-1917, and its president from 1917. He was president of the Montreal Harbour Commission from 1921 to 1930. Also, he was chairman of the board of the Beauharnois Power Corp, and a director of the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines. (For the family connection with the Hollinger interest, see the entries for his sister [[mcmartin_mrs_john|Mrs McMartin]], and for her husband [[mcmartin_john|John McMartin]] and for the younger [[mcdougald_john_angus|John A. McDougald]]. For his other family connections, see the entry for his brother [[mcdougald_alexander_william|A. W. McDougald]].) Likewise, he was a director of Dominion Steel Corp., British Empire Steel and Canada Steamship Lines. He was wealthy enough and socially prominent enough to entertain the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII. |
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| <tab>While rising in business, Dr McDougald was marking himself out also as a dedicated Liberal supporter. In 1922, it was rumoured that he might be made the first Canadian ambassador to the United States. (//Cornwall Freeholder// 14 Dec. 1922) In 1930 these speculations were renewed in the form of a rumour that he might succeed Vincent Massey as the first Canadian minister to Washington. (//FH// 7 May 1930 ) It was probably because of his growing friendship with Mackenzie King that King, who was prime minister at the time, sent both a message of sympathy to the family and a spray of flowers when Dr McDougald’s father, John A. McDougald, died in 1923. (//Glengarry News// 19 Jan. 1923) Less than two months later, it was reported that Dr McDougald had been offered the post of minister of railways in the King cabinet. (//Cornwall Standard// 8 March 1923) In 1926, Dr McDougald was called to the Canadian Senate. Six years later, however, in 1932, after he had been implicated in the Beauharnois scandal, he was forced to resign from the Senate. He had carefully cultivated the friendship of Mackenzie King, and through the Beauharnois involvement, he had endangered King’s own political career. Only two native Glengarrians have been members of the Senate, both physicians, Dr McDougald and his fellow townsman, Dr Donald McMillan, who died 12 years before Dr McDougald entered the Senate. | <tab>While rising in business, Dr McDougald was marking himself out also as a dedicated Liberal supporter. In 1922, it was rumoured that he might be made the first Canadian ambassador to the United States. (//Cornwall Freeholder// 14 Dec. 1922) In 1930 these speculations were renewed in the form of a rumour that he might succeed Vincent Massey as the first Canadian minister to Washington. (//FH// 7 May 1930 ) It was probably because of his growing friendship with Mackenzie King that King, who was prime minister at the time, sent both a message of sympathy to the family and a spray of flowers when Dr McDougald’s father, John A. McDougald, died in 1923. (//Glengarry News// 19 Jan. 1923) Less than two months later, it was reported that Dr McDougald had been offered the post of minister of railways in the King cabinet. (//Cornwall Standard// 8 March 1923) In 1926, Dr McDougald was called to the Canadian Senate. Six years later, however, in 1932, after he had been implicated in the Beauharnois scandal, he was forced to resign from the Senate. He had carefully cultivated the friendship of Mackenzie King, and through the Beauharnois involvement, he had endangered King’s own political career. Only two native Glengarrians have been members of the Senate, both physicians, Dr McDougald and his fellow townsman, Dr Donald McMillan, who died 12 years before Dr McDougald entered the Senate. |
