Pierre-François Casgrain

The Hon.
Pierre-François Casgrain
P.C.
19th Speaker of the House of Commons
In office
February 6, 1936  May 10, 1940
Monarch Edward VIII
George VI
Governor General The Lord Tweedsmuir
The Earl of Athlone
Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded by James Langstaff Bowman
Succeeded by James Allison Glen
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Charlevoix—Montmorency
In office
1917–1925
Preceded by new riding
Succeeded by riding abolished
Member of Parliament
for Charlevoix—Saguenay
In office
1925–1941
Preceded by new riding
Succeeded by Frédéric Dorion
Personal details
Born (1886-08-04)August 4, 1886
Montreal, Quebec
Died August 2, 1950(1950-08-02) (aged 63)
Political party Laurier-Liberal (1917–1921)
Liberal Party of Canada (1921–1941)
Spouse(s) Thérèse Casgrain
Profession lawyer
Cabinet Secretary of State of Canada (1940–1941)

Pierre-François Casgrain, PC (August 4, 1886 August 2, 1950) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons from 1936 to 1940.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, his father was a physician. Following the death of his mother when he was three years old, he was raised by his grandmother. Casgrain graduated in law from Université Laval and practiced in Montreal where he worked as an organizer for the Liberal Party of Canada and the Quebec Liberal Party.

When his father-in-law, Sir Rodolphe Forget, the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Charlevoix, retired from politics, Casgrain decided to run for the seat as a Liberal in the 1917 election. The campaign occurred as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917. Casgrain ran as an opponent of the draft (see Laurier Liberals, and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons.

From 1921 to 1925, Casgrain was the parliamentary whip of the Quebec Liberal caucus, and from 1926 to 1936, he was the Chief Whip of the Liberal caucus.

Casgrain was nominated by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to be Speaker of the House in 1936. He served in this position until 1940 when he was appointed to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Canada, a position that had sweeping emergency powers during World War II. On December 15, 1941, Casgrain was appointed Puisne Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec and retired from politics. He died in 1950.

Casgrain's wife, Thérèse Casgrain, was a prominent political figure in her own right.

Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
The electoral district was
created in 1914.
Member of Parliament for Charlevoix—Montmorency
1917–1925
Succeeded by
The electoral district was
abolished in 1924.
Preceded by
The electoral district was
created in 1924.
Member of Parliament for Charlevoix—Saguenay
1925–1941
Succeeded by
Frédéric Dorion
Political offices
Preceded by
George William Kyte
Chief Government Whip
1924-1926
Succeeded by
William Alves Boys
Preceded by
William Alves Boys
Chief Government Whip
1927-1930
Succeeded by
Thomas Edward Simpson
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