The Hon. Peter Lougheed
(1928-)

The Hon. Peter Lougheed was the 11th Chancellor of Queen's University, and Queen's is indeed lucky to have enjoyed the affiliation of such a prominent Canadian with the University. Peter Lougheed's many achievements as Premier of Alberta have won him almost universal acclaim, and he brought the same vigour and forward thinking to the Chancellorship as he showed during his time as Premier, being closely involved with the governance of the University.

Born on July 26, 1928, in Calgary, Alberta, Peter Lougheed was educated in Calgary and it seems that leadership was always one of his talents. He founded a Student's Union at Central High School, and served as its first President. He then went on to study at the University of Alberta, from which he obtained his B.A. in 1950 and his LL.D. in 1952. During his time at the U of A, he was a noted athlete, and his efforts on the Golden Bears football team earned him a place in the University's sports hall of fame. He was also the President of the Students' Union and he edited a page for the school newspaper. During his later university years he played professional football with the Edmonton Eskimos.

On June 21, 1952, Peter Lougheed married Jeanne E. Rogers. They would eventually have four children: Stephen, Andrea, Pamela, and Joseph. Peter Lougheed went to the United States to continue his studies after his marriage, and received a M.B.A. from Harvard in 1954. A year later he was called to the Alberta Bar, and began practising with the firm of Fenerty, Fenerty, McGillivray, Prowse, and Brennan. For the next several years he was active both in the legal field and in the business world.

In 1965, Peter Lougheed was elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. Two years later he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a representative of Calgary West, and he was the Leader of the Official Opposition from 1967-1971. It was in 1971 that he began his 14 year run as the Premier of Alberta. He was one of the most successful leaders in the history of that province.

While in office, he made it a priority to develop the natural resources of Alberta to improve the lives its citizens. He also fostered the improvement of health and recreational facilities in the province, and established the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust in 1976. Peter Lougheed was highly involved in the development of the Constitutional amending formula in 1982. After a highly successful term as Premier, he resigned on November 1, 1985, and concentrated all his energies on his business and legal interests.

Peter Lougheed has served on the Board of Directors of over 15 major Canadian companies, and has been honoured by many different sectors of the community for his achievements. There is a Provincial Park named after him in Alberta, and a section of the Calgary General Hospital was named the "Peter Lougheed Centre." There is also a building named after him and his wife at the Banff Centre. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada, and has received honourary degrees from many Canadian universities. Peter Lougheed served as Queen's Chancellor from 1996-2002.