Leighton Goldie McCarthy, (December 15, 1869 – October 3, 1952) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

lawyer, politician, businessman and diplomat.

Life and career

Born in

Walkerton, Ontario Walkerton is a Town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton, Ontario, Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County, Ontario, Bruce County. I ...

, McCarthy was called to the Ontario Bar in 1892. He was elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

in 1898 as an independent representing the riding of

Simcoe North Simcoe North (french: Simcoe-Nord) is a federal electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2011 Census''; 2013 representation'' Ethnic groups: 87.8% ...

, following the death of the incumbent, his father

Dalton McCarthy Dalton McCarthy (October 10, 1836 – May 11, 1898), or D'Alton McCarthy, was a Canadian lawyer and parliamentarian. He was the leader of the "Orange" or Protestant Irish, and fiercely fought against Irish Catholics as well as the French C ...

, in a carriage accident. He was re-elected in 1900 and 1904 but was defeated in 1911, when he ran 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 ...

. In 1928, McCarthy became president of the

Canada Life Assurance Company The Canada Life Assurance Company, commonly known as Canada Life, is an insurance and financial services company with its headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The current company is the result of the 2020 amalgamation of The Great-West Life Assur ...

. In 1941, he was appointed to the

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The 's Privy Council for Canada (french: Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada),) during the reign of a queen. sometimes called Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal consultants to the ...

. From 1941 to 1944, McCarthy served as Canada's top diplomatic representative in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and he became the first Canadian ambassador to the United States (previously, the position was called

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...

). McCarthy was a lawyer before and after his political and diplomatic appointment but ended his practice in 1946. McCarthy moved to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

and built a house at 45 Walmer Road in 1932, and he died here in 1952. McCarthy bequeathed his home to 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 ...

. Since 1953, the building has housed the university's Institute of Child Study.

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Leighton 1869 births 1952 deaths Ambassadors of Canada to the United States Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario People from Bruce County Canadian lawyers Canadian Protestants

Life and career

Archives

References

External links