Saskatchewan. The History of a Province (inscribed by Tommy Douglas)
Place Published: [Toronto]
Publisher: McClelland and Stewart Limited printed by Hunter Rose Co.
Date Published: 1955
Edition: 1st Edition
Binding: Hard Cover
First edition. Good+ /Very Good-. 6 x 9 inches. Red cloth, pictorial dust jacket. xi, 292pp. Errata slip. Maps, drawings by A.W. Davey, illustrated endpapers,
The front blank bears an warm and heart felt inscription to close friend " To Dr. "Sandy" Robertson Saskatchewan's most recent acquisition in the field of Social Medicine from [signed] T. C. Douglas Premier of Sask. Sept 24th 1958"
Alexander “Sandy” Duff Robertson was born on April 28,1926, in Dunkfield, England. He received an M.B. from the University of Edinburgh in 1949, a D.P.H. from the University of London in 1955, and an M.D. from the University of Saskatchewan in 1961. In 1958, Robertson became head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan becoming one of the early supporters of Douglas and importantly Medicare [Social Medicine] as acknowledged by Douglas's inscription. Superb provenance making this a historically important book. Robertson later accepted the executive directorship of the Milbank Memorial Fund in New York City in 1962.
Signed inscription by former Saskatchewan premier, father of Canadian medicare system, and "greatest Canadian," Tommy Douglas dated Sept 24th 1958, during the time Douglas was premier of the province (from 1944 to 1961) In November 2004 a nation wide vote by over one million Canadians selected Tommy Douglas as "The Greatest Canadian of all Time."
Known as the 'Father of Medicare' - he launched medicare in Saskatchewan when he was premier of that province, first universal hospital insurance in 1947, then medicare in 1959. He has been described as, "the most influential politician never to be elected Prime Minister." Tommy Douglas was a great Canadian he had many roles: a minister, a family man, a persuasive public speaker, a comedian, an advocate for the poor, unemployed and farmers. But those roles just combine into one title to most Canadians: a great politician who cared about people. He was not in politics for prestige or the money of political life, he was there because he wanted to make life better for all Canadians. Always able to adapt and change his approach if one method did not work. For Tommy Douglas democratic socialism was really his only political choice because it was the only philosophy that valued all people as much as he did.” quoted from Wayne Fisher on-line article Tommy Douglas Making Canada Better!
Tommy Douglas made an invaluable contribution to political life,” says Xavier Gélinas, Curator of Canadian Political History at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. “In total, he provided the impetus for about a hundred pieces of legislation, several of which can be said to have shaped the Canadian identity.”
In recognition of this immense contribution, in 1980 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada
Very Good / Very Good. Item #1223
$400.00 USD
$548.98 CAD