Gordon Churchill

Gordon Minto Churchill

Gordon Minto Churchill, lawyer, teacher, politician (b at Coldwater, Ont 8 Nov 1898; d at Vancouver 3 Aug 1985). One of John Diefenbaker's closest Cabinet confidants, Churchill was a knowledgeable and respected parliamentarian who served as Tory House leader in the Diefenbaker era. A veteran of both world wars, he was first elected to the House in 1951. In 1956 he organized and led caucus support for Diefenbaker's leadership bid and was his political adviser during the 1957 election. He was appointed minister of trade and commerce in 1957; in this capacity he led several Commonwealth trade delegations. He moved to the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1960. After the February 1963 Cabinet resignations, Churchill served as defence minister until the election, and was a rallying point for Diefenbaker loyalists in the caucus until 1968.