Charles Joseph Howlett (January 25, 1885 – March 31, 1932) was a dental surgeon, politician and amateur actor in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. He served as mayor of St. John's from 1929 to 1932. The son of Mary Byrne and John Howlett, he was born in St. John's and was educated at St. Patrick's Hall,

Saint Bonaventure's College St. Bonaventure's College (commonly called St. Bon's) is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, adjacent to the Roman Cat ...

, the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

and the Philadelphia Dental College. He set up practice in St. John's in 1906. In 1908, Howlett married Eleanor M. Walsh. Before being elected as mayor in 1929, he was active in local amateur theatre productions. From 1916 to 1929, he was president of the Newfoundland Dental Board. From 1928 to 1929, Howlett was president of the local

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

. As mayor during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, Howlett focused on the city's finances, battling the provincial government for more control over borrowing and for access to the city's share of district grants. He initiated infrastructure improvements such as street paving which also provided much needed jobs. In 1932, he organized a civic relief committee to aid the poor of the city. After experiencing health problems worsened by the demands of his job as mayor, Howlett died in hospital at St. John's at the age of 47.

References

1885 births 1932 deaths Mayors of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador {{Newfoundland-politician-stub