Harry Albert Willis (July 11, 1904 – March 23, 1972) was a Canadian Senator and long-time fundraiser and organizer for the

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003. From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Born in Belfountain, Ontario, Wilson was Ontario chairman of the federal party's Ontario wing from 1943 until 1963. A lawyer by training, Willis was a graduate of McMaster University and

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the ''Osgoode Hall La ...

. He was appointed to his party position by then federal leader John Bracken. Under

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

, Willis was one of the "three musketeers" who ran the Ontario wing along with

Edwin A. Goodman Edwin A. Goodman, (1918 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadians, Canadian lawyer and political figure. Goodman graduated from Toronto's Osgoode Hall Law School in 1947 and was one of the founding partners of Goodmans, Goodmans LLP, a Toronto law fir ...

and Senator William Brunt. Diefenbaker appointed Willis to the Senate in June 1962. He stepped down as Ontario chairman following the 1963 federal election in which the Tories were defeated by

Lester Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

's Liberals with only 26 Progressive Conservative MPs being elected in Ontario. In the business world, Willis sat on several boards of directors, including those of

Denison Mines Denison Mines Corp. is a Canadian uranium exploration, development, and production company. Founded by Stephen B. Roman, and best known for its uranium mining in Blind River and Elliot Lake, it later diversified into coal, potash, and other proj ...

and Standard Trust. He was president of Caledon Holdings Limited, which developed residential subdivisions. The company owned near which Wilson wished to develop despite the province's plans to create park Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. Wilson continued buying property in the area despite the province's plans. The provincial Progressive Conservative government purchased the land from Wilson in 1971, giving him an 81% profit, which resulted in complaints by the

parliamentary opposition Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...

and a formal inquiry which found no wrongdoing on the part of Willis but which criticized the government for not bargaining for a lower price."Senator was chairman of Tories in Ontario", ''Globe and Mail'', March 25, 1972 Willis died in flight from Ottawa to Toronto."Senator dies on flight to Toronto", ''Toronto Star'', March 24, 1972

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Harry Albert 1904 births 1972 deaths Canadian political consultants Lawyers in Ontario Canadian senators from Ontario Progressive Conservative Party of Canada senators 20th-century Canadian lawyers