Agnes Macphail

Agnes Campbell Macphail
Portrait by Yousuf Karsh, 1934
Member of Ontario Provincial Parliament
In office 1948–1951
Preceded by	John A. Leslie
Succeeded by	Hollis Edward Beckett
In office 1943–1945
Preceded by	George Stewart Henry
Succeeded by	John A. Leslie
Constituency	York East
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grey—Bruce
In office 1935–1940
Preceded by	New riding
Succeeded by	Walter Harris
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Grey Southeast
In office 1921–1935
Preceded by	Robert James Ball
Succeeded by	Riding abolished
Personal details
Born	(1890-03-24)March 24, 1890 Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario
Died	February 13, 1954(1954-02-13) (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.