Shirley Dysart

Shirley Theresa Dysart CM (ne Britt, 1928 Decem- 1987 election, she was appointed Minister of Education,
ber 14, 2016) was an American-born Canadian teacher becoming the rst woman to hold the position. While
and a politician in the province of New Brunswick.[1]
serving as Minister of Education, she led the introducShe attained a number of rsts in New Brunswick pol- tion of a province-wide universal, full-day public kindergarten program, becoming known as the architect of
itics. She was the rst female Liberal in serve in the
[7][9]
She was also reLegislative Assembly of New Brunswick, the rst woman the provinces kindergarten system.
sponsible
for
a
number
of
community
projects,
such as
to serve as the leader of a party in the provincial Legis[7]
Imperial
Theatre.
the
rebuilding
of
the
lature (1985), the rst woman to be Minister of Education (19871991) and rst woman to be Speaker (1991
1995).[2]

In 1991, Dysart was elected Speaker of the Legislative

Assembly, the rst woman to hold the position.[3] She retired from politics in 1995, not seeking re-election in the
general election of that year.[2]

In addition to her political career, Dysart held a number of community leadership positions she was president of the Catholic Womens League Council, president of the University of New Brunswick Alumni Council, and a member of the board of governors of the
Beaverbrook Art Gallery.[2] She served on the boards
of the New Brunswick Music Festival, Theatre New
Brunswick, Saint John Family Services, and the IrishCanadian Cultural Association.[9]

Early years

Shirley Theresa Britt was born in Boston, Massachusetts,

U.S. She was the eldest of eight children born to Leslie
John Britt and Mary Agnes (ne Donovan) Britt, and
often cared for her younger siblings while her parents
worked.[3][4]

She attended St. Vincents High School in Saint

John, New Brunswick and studied at the New
Brunswick Teachers College and the University of
New Brunswick.[2] She was awarded a Beaverbrook 2.1 Honors and awards
Scholarship and studied at the University of London.[5]
In October 1996 Dysart was awarded an honorary L.L.D.
by the University of New Brunswick Saint John and in
2000, she received a Red Cross Humanitarian Award.[5]
2 Career
She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in
2004.[2] In 2012 she was a recipient of the Queen ElizaAfter graduating, Dysart taught at St. Vincents High beth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.[5] In 2015 she was named
School, Saint John, and in 1967 she became a member a Champion of Public Education by the national eduof the school board for District 20.[6] She later served as cational charity The Learning Partnership.[10] She was
chair of the board for three years, the rst woman to hold also the recipient of the Commemorative Medal for the
the postion.[4]
125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and
the
Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Saint
In 1974 the leader of the Liberal Party, Bob Higgins, sug[4]
John.
gested she run for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of
New Brunswick; she won the seat of Saint John North,
becoming the rst female Liberal, and second female
of any party, to serve in the Legislative Assembly.[7] In 3 Personal life
1976, she served on the Bi-Centennial Celebration Committee for the Province of New Brunswick.[4]
Dysart was married to H. Eric Dysart and had one
son.[2][5]

Dysart was re-elected in 1978, 1982, 1987 and 1991,

holding her seat for twenty years.[8] She remains the only
Liberal politican to win ve consecutive elections in Saint
John.[4]

Dysart died on December 14, 2016 at the age of 88. She

was survived by her son (J.E. Britt Dysart), daughter-inlaw, and two grandchildren, in addition to an extremely
In 1985, she was appointed the interim Leader of the Op- large extended family of siblings, nieces, nephews, etc.[2]
position, becoming the rst woman to serve as the Leader Following her death, ags at Saint John City Hall were
of a political party in New Brunswick.[4] Following the own at half-mast as a sign of respect.[7]
1

References

[1] Canada, Government of New Brunswick. Message on

the passing of Shirley Dysart. gnb.ca. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[2] Shirley Dysart, former trailblazing Liberal politician, dies
CBC News
[3] "'Author of kindergarten': Former Liberal politician
Shirley Dysart mourned. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[4] Shirley Theresa Dysart 19282016 | Ncrologie
Canada. Ncrologie Canada (in French). December 16,
2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
[5] Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. www.gnb.ca.
Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[6] UNB Alumni News (PDF). University of New
Brunswick. Fall 2004. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[7] Former N.B. MLA Shirley Dysart dies at 88. Atlantic.
Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[8] Remembering Shirley Dysart As A Very Important Political Figure This Century. thewave.ca. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
[9] Services, Government of Canada, Oce of the Secretary to the Governor General, Information and Media.
Order of Canada. archive.gg.ca. Retrieved December
16, 2016.
[10] News. thelearningpartnership.ca. Retrieved December
16, 2016.

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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