Gérard Cournoyer (18 April 1912 – 11 November 1973) was a

Liberal party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Sorel, Quebec and became a lawyer by career. Cournoyer studied at the Saint Hyacinthe Seminary, then attended the

University of Montreal A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

where he received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

and

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of ...

degrees. He was called to the Quebec bar in 1935. He was first elected to Parliament at the

Richelieu—Verchères Richelieu—Verchères was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1935 to 1968. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Chambly—Verchères, Richelieu, St. Hyacinthe� ...

riding in a by-election on 23 December 1946 then re-elected there in the 1949 federal election. Cournoyer resigned his House of Commons seat on 5 July 1952 during his term in the

21st Canadian Parliament The 21st Canadian Parliament was in session from September 15, 1949, until June 13, 1953. The membership was set by the 1949 federal election on June 27, 1949, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissol ...

to pursue provincial politics in Quebec where he won a Legislative Assembly seat in the Richelieu riding later that year in the 1952 Quebec election. He was defeated in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...

, but was elected again in

1960 It is also known as the " Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * J ...

and again in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wo ...

. From 1960 to 1964, he was Minister of Transport and Communication under the

Jean Lesage Jean Lesage (; 10 June 1912 – 12 December 1980) was a Canadian lawyer and politician from Quebec. He served as the 19th premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960 to 16 June 1966. Alongside Georges-Émile Lapalme, René Lévesque and others, he is o ...

administration, then was minister of Hunting and Fishing until 1965, then a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet ...

until his election defeat in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is ...

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* 1912 births 1973 deaths Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Lawyers in Quebec Quebec Liberal Party MNAs Université de Montréal alumni People from Sorel-Tracy 20th-century Canadian lawyers {{Liberal-Quebec-MP-stub