Harold Joseph Connolly (8 September 1901 – 17 May 1980) was a Canadian journalist, newspaper editor, and politician who served as the 15th premier of Nova Scotia in 1954. Connolly was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the son of Richard Joseph Connolly and Annie Duffield. He was educated at St. Mary's College. As a newspaperman, he worked for the '' Halifax Chronicle'' before serving as editor of the ''Daily Star''. He was first elected to the

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (french: Assemblée législative de la Nouvelle-Écosse; gd, Taigh Seanaidh Alba Nuadh), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia of the province of Nova Scotia ...

in a 1936 by-election 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 ...

Halifax North Halifax North was a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elected one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It was formed in 1933 when Halifax County was divided into five distinct electoral districts. In 1966, Halifax N ...

after Gordon Benjamin Isnor was elected to the House of Commons. He was appointed to cabinet in 1941 as Minister of Industry and Publicity. He served as Minister of Industry and Trade from 1945 to 1950, when he became Minister of Public Health. When Premier Angus L. Macdonald died in 1954, Connolly became the province's premier and the Liberal Party's interim leader. He stood for the full-time job in the 1954 leadership convention, but was defeated by Henry Hicks when

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

delegates formed a united front to prevent the election of Connolly, a Catholic. The move caused a severe religious split within the party, which contributed to its defeat two years later at the hands of Robert Stanfield's Progressive Conservatives. Connolly retired from provincial politics in 1955 when he was elevated to the Senate of Canada for the Halifax North, Nova Scotia division on 28 July 1955 following nomination by Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. He served until his resignation on 14 May 1979. Connolly was a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and the Canadian Officers' Training Corps from 1940 to 1945. He married Catherine Burns in 1928; with whom he had 1 daughter, Catherine. He married Vivian Martel after the death of his first wife. He had five more children, Maureen, Dennis, David, Sharon and Patricia. Connolly's daughter

Sharon Carstairs Sharon Carstairs (born April 26, 1942) is a Canadian politician and former Senator. Early life Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of former Nova Scotia Premier and federal Senator Harold Connolly and his wife Vivian. She ...

has gone on to have a prominent political career as leader of the

Manitoba Liberal Party The Manitoba Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral du Manitoba) is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870. Origins and early development (to 1883) Origina ...

and, subsequently, a Liberal senator before retiring from politics in 2011.

References

* ''Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1948'', PG Normandin *
Entry from the Canadian Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Harold 1901 births 1980 deaths Canadian Roman Catholics Canadian people of Irish descent Liberal Party of Canada senators Nova Scotia Liberal Party MLAs People from Sydney, Nova Scotia Premiers of Nova Scotia Canadian senators from Nova Scotia Canadian newspaper editors Canadian male journalists Nova Scotia Ministers of Health Nova Scotia political party leaders