# Frederick William Rowe

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{{Short description|Canadian politician (1912–1994)}}
{{other people|Frederick Rowe}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable)
| name             = Frederick W. Rowe
| honorific_suffix =
| image            = 
| office1          = [Senator](/source/Senate_of_Canada) from [Lewisporte](/source/Lewisporte), [Newfoundland](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador)
| nominator1       = [Pierre Trudeau](/source/Pierre_Trudeau)
| appointer1       = [Ewart Harnum](/source/Ewart_John_Arlington_Harnum)
| term_start1      = {{start date|1971|12|09}}
| term_end1        = {{end date|1987|09|28}}
| office2          = Member of the<br>[Newfoundland House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly)<br>for [Grand Falls](/source/Grand_Falls-Windsor-Buchans)
| term_start2      = {{start date|1966|09|08}}
| term_end2        = {{end date|1971|10|28}}
| predecessor2     = [Ambrose Peddle](/source/Ambrose_Peddle)
| successor2       = [Aubrey Senior](/source/Aubrey_Senior)
| office3          = Member of the<br>[Newfoundland House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly)<br>for [White Bay South](/source/Humber_Valley_(electoral_district))
| term_start3      = {{start date|1956|10|02}}
| term_end3        = {{end date|1966|09|08}}
| predecessor3     = [Sam Drover](/source/Sam_Drover) (as MHA for [White Bay](/source/The_Straits-White_Bay_North))
| successor3       = [Bill Rowe](/source/Bill_Rowe)
| office4          = Member of the<br>[Newfoundland House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly)<br>for [Labrador](/source/Lake_Melville_(electoral_district))
| term_start4      = {{start date|1951|11|26}}
| term_end4        = {{end date|1956|10|02}}
| predecessor4     = [Harold Horwood](/source/Harold_Horwood)
| successor4       = [Earl Winsor](/source/Earl_Winsor)
| birth_name       = Frederick William Rowe
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1912|9|28}}
| birth_place      = [Lewisporte](/source/Lewisporte), [Newfoundland](/source/Dominion_of_Newfoundland)
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1994|6|20|1912|9|28}}
| death_place      = [St. John's](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), [Newfoundland](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador), [Canada](/source/Canada)
| spouse           = {{marriage|Edith Laura Butt|December 25, 1936}}
| party            = [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada)
| children         = 4 sons, including [Frederick B. Rowe](/source/Frederick_B._Rowe) and [Bill Rowe](/source/Bill_Rowe)
| alma_mater       = [Memorial University](/source/Memorial_University_of_Newfoundland) <br> [Mount Allison University](/source/Mount_Allison_University) <br> [University of Toronto](/source/University_of_Toronto)
| occupation       = Teacher 
}}
'''Frederick William Rowe''' (September 28, 1912 – June 20, 1994) was a [Newfoundlander](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador) and [Canadian](/source/Canadians) politician. After serving in the [Newfoundland House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly) for 20 years, he was appointed to the [Canadian Senate](/source/Senate_of_Canada).

==Biography==
He was born in [Lewisporte, Dominion of Newfoundland](/source/Lewisporte%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), the youngest son of Eli Rowe<ref name=fonds/> and Phoebe Ann Freake.<ref name=bio>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_enl/id/4050 |encyclopedia=[Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) |pages=646–47 |title=Rowe, Frederick William}}</ref> He attended school at Lewisporte Methodist School,<ref name=fonds/> continuing his education at [Prince of Wales College](/source/Prince_of_Wales_Collegiate) and the Normal Training School of Newfoundland in [St. John's](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland).<ref name=bio/> In 1934, he enrolled in [Memorial University College](/source/Memorial_University) and graduated in 1936 with first class honours. After graduating, he became a teacher in [Bishop's Falls](/source/Bishop's_Falls) and then in [Bonne Bay](/source/Bonne_Bay), where he met his future wife, Edith Laura Butt. Rowe married her on December 25, 1936. They had four sons: Frederick, Stanley, William, and George.<ref name=fonds>{{cite web |url=http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ead/id/22 |title=Dr. Frederick Rowe Fonds |publisher=Memorial University}}</ref>

Rowe also taught in [Lewisporte](/source/Lewisporte) and [Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/Wesleyville%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) before attending [Mount Allison University](/source/Mount_Allison_University) in [Sackville, New Brunswick](/source/Sackville%2C_New_Brunswick), where he received a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree and the O. E. Smith Scholarship in 1941.<ref name=fonds/>

In 1948, Rowe left Newfoundland for additional post-secondary training, attending the [University of Toronto](/source/University_of_Toronto) to study for a Bachelor of Paedagogy, which he received in 1949. While in [Toronto](/source/Toronto) he appeared on [CBC Radio](/source/CBC_Radio) a number of times, commenting on Newfoundland life and culture.<ref name=fonds/>

He returned to Newfoundland late in 1949 and spent the next two years working part-time on a doctorate in Paedagogy, which he was granted by the University of Toronto in 1951. During that time, Rowe was a civil servant, working as the first Deputy Minister of Welfare in the new provincial government under the leadership of [Joseph R. Smallwood](/source/Joseph_R._Smallwood). From 1950 to 1952 he served on the first Board of Regents for Memorial University. He also served on the United Church Board of Education from 1951 to 1956.<ref name=fonds/>

In 1951, he decided to give up his job and get involved in elected politics. A general election was called for that November, but bad weather caused the polling to be delayed until the following August. Rowe was the only candidate running for the [Labrador](/source/Lake_Melville_(electoral_district)) seat and was elected to the [Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly) by acclamation. Smallwood made him the Minister of Mines and Resources, a portfolio he would hold until 1956. From 1956 to 1966, he represented the riding of [White Bay South](/source/Humber_Valley_(electoral_district)) and from 1966 to 1971, the riding of [Grand Falls](/source/Grand_Falls-Windsor-Buchans). He was defeated in the 1971 general election.<ref name=fonds/>

While he was involved in provincial politics, Rowe held many cabinet positions: Public Welfare (1955–1956), Education (1956–1959), Highways (1959–1964), Finance (1964–1967), Community and Social Development (1966–1967), Education (1967–1971), and Labrador Affairs (1967–1971). In 1969, he became the first Deputy Premier of Newfoundland.<ref name=fonds/>

Smallwood announced his intention to retire and asked the [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada)s to choose a new leader. The leadership convention was scheduled for October 1969. In January, Rowe announced that he would run for the job. He had competition from [John Crosbie](/source/John_Crosbie), who had left the Party after arguing with Smallwood the previous year over funding for the [Come By Chance Refinery](/source/Come_By_Chance_Refinery) project. By mid-July 1969, Smallwood entered the leadership race. Rumours at the time speculated that it was a move to stop Crosbie from winning. Rowe immediately withdrew his name and pledged his support to Smallwood, who went on to win the leadership. He remained as Premier until January 1972.<ref name=fonds/>

After losing his bid for re-election in Grand Falls in the 1971 general election, Rowe was appointed to the Senate by [Pierre Trudeau](/source/Pierre_Trudeau). For the next sixteen years, he was a [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) Senator from Newfoundland. As a Senator, he represented [Canada](/source/Canada) at the Inter-Parliamentary Conferences at [Rome, Italy](/source/Rome%2C_Italy) in 1972; at an international event in [Colombo, Sri Lanka](/source/Colombo%2C_Sri_Lanka) in 1975; at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in the [Bahamas](/source/Bahamas) in 1982; in [Seoul, South Korea](/source/Seoul%2C_South_Korea) in 1983; and as a member of the official Canadian delegation to the [People's Republic of China](/source/People's_Republic_of_China) in 1983.<ref name=fonds/>

He retired upon turning 75, the mandatory retirement age for senators.

One of Rowe's greatest contributions to [Newfoundland](/source/Newfoundland_(island)) was his research and writing on the province's history, particularly on its history of education. His published books include, ''The History of Education in Newfoundland'' (1952); ''The Challenge of a Changing Canada'' (1957); ''The Development of Education in Newfoundland'' (1964); ''Education and Culture in Newfoundland'' (1976); ''Extinction: The Beothuks of Newfoundland'' (1977), ''Newfoundland and its Education System'' (1978); ''A History of Newfoundland and Labrador'' (1980); ''The Smallwood Era'' (1985); and his memoirs, ''Into the Breach: Memoirs of a Newfoundland Senator'' (1988).<ref name=fonds/>

While Minister of Education, he wrote ''Blueprint for Education in Newfoundland'' (1958). He also wrote many articles for publications such as ''[The Canadian Encyclopedia](/source/The_Canadian_Encyclopedia)'', ''[World Book Encyclopedia](/source/World_Book_Encyclopedia)'', and [Joseph R. Smallwood](/source/Joseph_R._Smallwood)'s ''The Book of Newfoundland''.<ref name=fonds/>

Rowe died in St. John's at the age of 81.<ref name=fonds/>

His son, [Bill Rowe](/source/Bill_Rowe), followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a writer and a cabinet minister.<ref name=bio/> His son [Frederick B. Rowe](/source/Frederick_B._Rowe) also served in the Newfoundland assembly.<ref>{{cite book |title=Canadian Parliamentary Guide |year=1974 |last=Normandin |first=P G}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=10754}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowe, Frederick}}
Category:1912 births
Category:1994 deaths
Category:Canadian senators from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Liberal Party of Canada senators
Category:Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs
Category:Writers from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Memorial University of Newfoundland alumni
Category:People from Lewisporte
Category:20th-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Frederick William Rowe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Rowe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Rowe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.