Fergusson, Muriel McQueen (1899–1997)

Canadian legislator who was the first woman speaker of the Senate. Born Muriel McQueen in Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada, on May 26, 1899; died in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, on April 11, 1997; graduated from Mount Allison University, 1921; received law degree from Dalhousie University; married a lawyer (died 1942).

A Canadian legislator for 22 years, and the first woman appointed speaker of the Senate (December 14, 1972), Muriel McQueen Fergusson is remembered as a wise and witty senator who was devoted to the causes of Canadian women.

A native of New Brunswick, Fergusson took up the study of law in 1921, even though her mother questioned spending the money to further her daughter's education when she was already engaged to be married. In 1925, after clerking in her father's law office, Fergusson was admitted to the New Brunswick Bar. Following her husband's death in 1942, she took over his law practice, slowly building the confidence of her mostly male clientele. Before her appointment to the Senate, Fergusson served as the director of the Family Allowance and the Old Age Security Programs in New Brunswick, during which time she was also at the forefront in the battle against sex discrimination in the workplace. She was the first woman elected to the Fredericton City Council and the first deputy mayor of that city.

Appointed as a Liberal to the Senate in 1953, Fergusson served on various Senate committees dealing with the rights of women and the welfare of all Canadian citizens. She was appointed speaker of the Senate on December 14, 1972. After serving in that capacity for three years, she retired in 1975, age 75. (Having voted in favor of mandatory retirement for senators at age 75 and although not bound by the legislation, Fergusson felt it was her duty to abide by the resolution.) Muriel Fergusson died in Fredericton, New Brunswick on April 11, 1997.