Monarch George V Succeeded by Walter Lea Succeeded by Reginald Bell Name William P. Died December 7, 1957 | Preceded by James D. Stewart Preceded by James D. Stewart Preceded by C. Gavan Duffy Role Politician | |
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Party Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island Education McGill University, Prince of Wales College Lieutenant governor Charles Dalton, George Des Brisay de Blois | ||
William Joseph Parnell MacMillan (March 24, 1881 – December 7, 1957) was a physician and Prince Edward Island politician.
Born in Clermont, MacMillan was a graduate of Prince of Wales College and the McGill University Faculty of Medicine.
After running a medical practice for several years, MacMillan entered politics in 1923 winning a seat in the provincial legislative assembly as a Conservative. In 1932 he became the province's first minister of health and education. As minister he rebuilt Prince of Wales College and the Provincial Mental Hospital which had both been destroyed by fire. He also secured a Carnegie Foundation endowment that enabled the government to establish a provincial library system.
When James D. Stewart became ill, MacMillan served as acting premier and then became the 18th Premier when Stewart died in 1933. MacMillan's government implemented relief programs and increasing government spending to help dampen the impact of the Great Depression. Nevertheless, his government was swept from power in the 1935 election which saw the Liberals capture every seat in the legislature. He returned to the legislature in 1939 and remained leader of the Conservative Party until the late 1940s and a member of the legislature until he lost his seat in the 1955 election.
MacMillan was named the province's lieutenant governor on November 22, 1957 but died before being sworn in.