Donald Mighton McPherson (November 26, 1918 – September 14, 1973) was a Canadian professional sports executive, businessman, farmer and political figure in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. He represented

Regina South West Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to: Places Canada * Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province ** Regina (electoral district) ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina France * Régina, French Guiana, a commune United States * Re ...

from 1967 to 1971 and Regina Lakeview from 1971 to 1973 in the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, in the na ...

as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Early life

He was born in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

, and was educated there, going on to study agriculture at the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.The Fort Garry Horse The Fort Garry Horse is a Canadian Army Reserve armoured regiment based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group. It traces its history to a cavalry regiment first formed in 1912 that first took ...

and the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment during World War II and received the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

with Étoile de Vermeil (Silver Star).

Career

In 1949, he became a director for the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). From 1956 to 1957, McPherson served as the club's president and he continued to serve on the team's management committee until his death. He was also president of the CFL in 1959, president of the Canadian Rugby Union in 1963 and president of the

Western Football Conference Western Football Conference may refer to: * Canadian Football League West Division, one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League * Western Football Conference (United States) The Western Football Conference was an NCAA Divisi ...

in 1965. McPherson chaired a committee to reorganize the management of the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

in 1962, receiving a lifetime membership in that football club for his efforts. McPherson was president of a number of companies, including McPherson and Thom Ltd. of Regina, McPherson and Thom Ltd. of Alberta, Western Welding of Saskatoon and Regina Tire Mart. He also served as a director for several companies, including Carling Breweries, the Bank of Western Canada and Prairie Metal Products Ltd. In 1966, he was named Saskatchewan Salesman of the Year by the Regina Sales and Marketing Club. A farm owner, McPherson raised purebred

Aberdeen Angus The Aberdeen Angus, sometimes simply Angus, is a Scottish breed of small beef cattle. It derives from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine and Angus in north-eastern Scotland. In 2018 the breed accounted for over 17 ...

cattle. From 1953 to 1958, he was a member of Regina city council. McPherson was a member of the board of governors for the Regina General Hospital. He helped establish the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

in Regina and served as president of the city's United Appeal in 1961. McPherson served as Opposition

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

in the Saskatchewan assembly. He died in office at the age of 54. McPherson was named to the

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...

as a builder in 1983 and to the Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honor in 1988.

References

External links

* 1918 births 1973 deaths Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Canadian Football League executives Politicians from Regina, Saskatchewan Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Saskatchewan Liberal Party MLAs Saskatchewan Roughriders {{Saskatchewan-politician-stub