George Alain Frecker,
OC (June 29, 1905 – September 30, 1979) was a Canadian politician and academic administrator.
Early life
Frecker was the son of George and Suzanna Frecker. He was born in
St. Pierre in 1905
and moved to
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
at the age of 13. He completed a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the
Nova Scotia Technical College in 1932 and a B.A. From
Saint Mary's University in 1933.
[
]
Career
Frecker moved to St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
in 1934 as the head of the Engineering Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He served as the Secretary of Education and the Deputy Minister of Education from 1944 to 1959. In 1959 he resigned as the Deputy Minister of Education to become the MHA for the District of Placentia East, a position he held until 1971. During his time as MHA he served as the Minister of Education from 1959 to 1964 and the Minister of Provincial Affairs from 1964 to 1971.Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
medal of service for "excellence in all fields of endeavour in Canadian life".[ During his life he was awarded honorary degrees from ]St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada.
History
St. Franc ...
, St. Mary's University, Memorial University, Laval University
Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of:
People
* House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne
* Laval (surname)
Places Belgium
* Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Lux ...
and the University of Montreal
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
.[
]
Family
He married Helena Mary McGrath; the couple had eight children.[
]
Death
Frecker died at the age of 74. After his death the Memorial University Campus in St. Pierre was renamed l'Institut Frecker and a French choir in St. John's was renamed Chorale Frecker in his honour.[
]
Footnotes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frecker, George Alain
1905 births
1979 deaths
Canadian people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon descent
People from Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
French emigrants to Canada
Officers of the Order of Canada
Government ministers of the Dominion of Newfoundland
Members of the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador