Agnes MacPhail
| Agnes Campbell Macphail | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Yousuf Karsh, 1934
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| Member of Ontario Provincial Parliament | |
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In office 1948–1951 |
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| Preceded by | John A. Leslie |
| Succeeded by | Hollis Edward Beckett |
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In office 1943–1945 |
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| Preceded by | George Stewart Henry |
| Succeeded by | John A. Leslie |
| Constituency | York East |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grey—Bruce |
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In office 1935–1940 |
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| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Walter Harris |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grey Southeast |
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In office 1921–1935 |
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| Preceded by | Robert James Ball |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 24, 1890 Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario |
| Died | February 13, 1954 (aged 63) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party |
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation UFO-Labour Progressive |
| Residence | Toronto |
| Occupation | Schoolteacher |
| Religion | Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |
Agnes Campbell Macphail (March 24, 1890 – February 13, 1954) was a Canadian politician who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons from 1921 to 1940. She was the first woman to be elected to parliament. From 1943 to 1945 and again from 1948 to 1951 she was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the Toronto riding of York East. Active throughout her life in progressive Canadian politics, Macphail worked for two separate parties and promoted her ideas through column-writing, activist organizing, and legislation.
Agnes Macphail was born to Dougald McPhail and Henrietta Campbell in Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario on March 24, 1890. (Although her surname was spelled "McPhail" at birth, she discovered during a trip to Scotland that her family's surname had been "Macphail" and changed her name to reflect this.) She was raised in the Methodist Church, but converted to the Reorganized Latter Day Saint church as a teenager, the church of her missionary uncle.
She attended Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute for one year. Even though she did well she transferred to Stratford Normal School so she could board with a relative. She graduated in 1910 with a second class teacher's certificate. She applied for five positions and was accepted at all five. She claimed that this was not due to her competence but due to a scarcity of teachers at the time. She taught in several rural schools in such communities as Port Elgin, Honeywood and Newmarket.
While working in Sharon, Macphail became active politically, joining the United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) and its women's organization, the United Farm Women of Ontario. She also became a columnist for the Farmer's Sun around this time.
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