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Richard Bennett Hatfield

The Honourable
Richard Hatfield
PC ONB
Richard Hatfield.jpg
26th Premier of New Brunswick
In office
November 11, 1970 – October 26, 1987
Monarch Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor Wallace Samuel Bird
Hédard Robichaud
George Stanley
Gilbert Finn
Preceded by Louis Robichaud
Succeeded by Frank McKenna
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
In office
October 13, 1967 – October 13, 1987
Preceded by Charles Van Horne
Succeeded by Malcolm MacLeod
MLA for Carleton
In office
June 19, 1961 – November 18, 1974
Serving with Fred McCain, Charles Gallagher, A. Edison Stairs
Preceded by Hugh John Flemming
Succeeded by District abolished
MLA for Carleton Centre
In office
November 18, 1974 – October 13, 1987
Preceded by District created
Succeeded by Allison DeLong
Senator for New Brunswick
In office
September 7, 1990 – April 26, 1991
Appointed by Brian Mulroney
Personal details
Born Richard Bennett Hatfield
(1931-04-09)April 9, 1931
Hartland, New Brunswick
Died April 26, 1991(1991-04-26) (aged 60)
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Political party Progressive Conservative
Religion Protestant

Richard Bennett Hatfield, PC ONB (April 9, 1931 – April 26, 1991) was a New Brunswick politician and the longest serving Premier in the province's history (1970–1987).

The youngest of five children of Heber Hatfield and Dora Robinson, Richard was brought up with politics in the household. His father, already a well known potato shipper, was Hartland's mayor when he was born. In 1938, at 7 years old, his father brought him to the Conservative Party of Canada leadership convention in Winnipeg where he met his namesake, R. B. Bennett. In 1940 Heber was elected Victoria-Carleton county Conservative Member of Parliament and served until his death due to cancer in 1952. Young Richard spent a lot of time in Ottawa even getting to know John Diefenbaker and his first wife Edna.

After graduating from high school in 1948 in his home town Hartland, Hatfield attended Acadia University for four years majoring in chemistry and English where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He also got involved in drama, an experience that seemed to have the most lasting impact of any during his years at Acadia. "That was extremely valuable" he said. "It would benefit every politician to have a bit of theatre training... too many politicians get caught up using big words to impress, but don't know how to project feelings." After Acadia, he attended Dalhousie University to become a doctor but after a year he turned to law. He graduated Dalhousie Law School in 1956.

Hatfield left Halifax in 1957 and moved to Truro to take a job with the firm Patterson, Smith, Matthew and Grant so he could do his six months articling period. After successfully completing his articles, he left Truro to join Gordon Churchill who was at the time Minister of Industry in Ottawa. He declined a job offer at the firm and he never practised law again. He stayed in Ottawa for nine months until he called his brother Fred for a job back home. Frederick Heber Hatfield (1922-2004), who was managing the potato shipping and processing operation since Heber died, agreed and Richard became vice-president of sales. He worked with his brother until 1965. When his family sold their potato chip plant to Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods, he decided to be a politician full-time.


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