{{short description|Canadian politician (1887–1956)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Austin Claypool.png | image_size = 180px | name = Austin Bingley Claypool | caption = | birth_date = April 13, 1887 | birth_place = Muncie, Indiana, U.S.<ref name="google">{{cite journal|title=Guide Parlementaire Canadien|author1=Normandin, P.G.|author2=Normandin, A.L.|journal=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide = Guide Parlementaire Canadien|date=1929|publisher=P. G. Normandin|issn=0315-6168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2FdLAAAAMAAJ|access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> | death_date = {{Death date and age|1956|6|4|1887|4|13}} | death_place = near Muncie, Indiana | office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | constituency = Didsbury | term_start = July 18, 1921 | term_end = August 22, 1935 | predecessor = Henry Atkins | successor = Edward Foster | party = United Farmers | other_party = Liberal | spouse = | children = | occupation = politician | branch = | allegiance = | battles = | service_years = | rank = | unit = | commands = | awards = }}
'''Austin Bingley Claypool''' (April 13, 1887 – June 4, 1956) was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1935 sitting with the United Farmers caucus in government.
==Political career== Claypool ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1921 Alberta general election. He ran as a United Farmers candidate in the electoral district of Didsbury. Claypool defeated Liberal candidate George Webber with a comfortable majority to win the two-way race.<ref name="1921 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1921&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1921 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
Claypool ran for a second term in the 1926 Alberta general election. The race was contested by three candidates. Claypool won a large majority despite losing some of his popular vote from 1921.<ref name="1926 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1926&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1926 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
The 1930 Alberta general election would see Claypool stand for his third term. He ran in a two-way race against Independent W.A. Austin and beat him by less than 300 votes to hold his seat.<ref name="1930 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1930&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1930 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
Claypool ran for a fourth term in the 1935 Alberta general election but was defeated in the four-way race finishing a distant second place to Social Credit candidate Edward Foster.<ref name="1935 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1935&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1935 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>
Claypool made a bid to run for a seat to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1940 federal election. He ran in a five-way race as a Liberal candidate but was defeated finishing a close second to incumbent Charles Johnston.<ref name="40fed">{{cite web|title=Bow River Election Results|date=March 26, 1940|publisher=Parliament of Canada|access-date=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=6456}}</ref>
Claypool died in an automobile crash near his hometown of Muncie, Indiana in 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dies in Crash. |newspaper=The Calgary Herald |date=June 5, 1956 |page=15 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930024650/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claypool, Austin}} Category:United Farmers of Alberta MLAs Category:Candidates in the 1940 Canadian federal election Category:1887 births Category:1956 deaths Category:People from Muncie, Indiana Category:American emigrants to Canada Category:Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:Road incident deaths in Indiana Category:Alberta candidates for Member of Parliament Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta