# John Gilbert Higgins

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{{Short description|Canadian politician (1891–1963)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable)
| name             = John Higgins
| honorific_suffix =
| birth_date       = 7 May 1891
| birth_place      = [St. John's](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), [Newfoundland Colony](/source/Newfoundland_Colony)
| death_date       = 1 July 1963
| death_place      = [St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), Canada
| office1          = [Senator](/source/Senate_of_Canada) for [Newfoundland](/source/List_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador_senators) (St. John's East)
| term_start1      = 15 January 1959
| term_end1        = 1 July 1963
| predecessor1     = 
| successor1       = 
| office2          = [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Newfoundland_and_Labrador))
| term_start2      = 1949
| term_end2        = 1951
| predecessor2     = ''position established''
| successor2       = [Peter John Cashin](/source/Peter_John_Cashin)
| office3          = [Member of the House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_House_of_Assembly) for [St. John's East](/source/St._John's_East_(provincial_electoral_district))
| term_start3      = 1949
| term_end3        = 1951
| predecessor3     = ''constituency established''
| successor3       = [James D. Higgins](/source/James_D._Higgins)
| party            = [Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) <br> [Progressive Conservative Party of Canada](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Canada)
| other_party      = [Responsible Government League](/source/Responsible_Government_League)
| occupation       = Lawyer
| alma_mater       = [Merton College](/source/Merton_College)
| allegiance       = {{flag|Canada|1868}}
| branch           = [Canadian Expeditionary Force](/source/Canadian_Expeditionary_Force)
| service_years    = 1916-1918
| rank             = 
| battles          = [First World War](/source/First_World_War) 
}}

'''John Gilbert Higgins''' (May 7, 1891 &ndash; July 1, 1963) was a [Newfoundland](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador) politician, [Senator](/source/Senate_of_Canada), and lawyer.

==Early life==
Higgins had an older sister, May. He was a child when his father died. Jack was educated from the age of five at [Saint Bonaventure's College](/source/Saint_Bonaventure's_College) and was selected one of Newfoundland's [Rhodes Scholars](/source/Rhodes_Scholars) in 1909.<ref name=mem>[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/cns_archives/39riggsjuly9_1998.html Jack Higgins: Newfoundlander Through and Through], Memorial University of Newfoundland</ref> He studied law at [Merton College, Oxford](/source/Merton_College%2C_Oxford), where his roommate was [Robert Moses](/source/Robert_Moses),<ref>{{cite book |last=Caro |first=Robert A. |date=1974 |title=The Power Broker |publisher=Vintage Books |page=50}}</ref> and was captain of the Oxford-Canadian [ice hockey](/source/ice_hockey) team<ref name="MCreg">{{cite book|editor1-last=Levens|editor1-first=R.G.C.|title=Merton College Register 1900-1964|date=1964|publisher=Basil Blackwell|location=Oxford|page=72}}</ref> which toured [Europe](/source/Europe) and was undefeated in its 17 matches, outscoring its opponents 204 goals to 17.<ref name=mem/>

==Career==
In 1913, he was [called to the bar](/source/Call_to_the_Bar) of Newfoundland and England and began practicing law in [St. John's](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador).<ref name=MCreg /> In 1916, he joined the [Canadian Corps](/source/Canadian_Corps)'s [St. Francis Xavier Hospital Unit](/source/St._Francis_Xavier_Hospital_Unit) and served for the remainder of [World War I](/source/World_War_I) in England and France.<ref name=mem/> After the war, Higgins returned to Newfoundland and established a law partnership with [Harry Winter](/source/Harry_Winter) in 1919.<ref name=mem/>

===Political ambitions===
During the [Newfoundland National Convention](/source/Newfoundland_National_Convention), Higgins opposed [Joey Smallwood](/source/Joey_Smallwood)'s resolution that Newfoundland join [Canadian Confederation](/source/Canadian_Confederation). He became a leading member of the [Responsible Government League](/source/Responsible_Government_League) and campaigned against joining Canada in the [1948 Newfoundland referendums](/source/1948_Newfoundland_referendums).<ref name=mem/> When Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949, Higgins hung black crepe on his door as a symbol of mourning.<ref name=mem/>

In Newfoundland's [first provincial election](/source/1949_Newfoundland_general_election) on May 27, 1949, Higgins was elected to the [Newfoundland House of Assembly](/source/Newfoundland_House_of_Assembly) as a [Progressive Conservative](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) from [St. John's East](/source/St._John's_East_(provincial_electoral_district)). As party leader [Harry Mews](/source/Harry_Mews) failed to win his seat, Higgins became the province's first [Leader of the Opposition](/source/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(Newfoundland_and_Labrador)). Preferring his legal practice to politics, Higgins did not run for re-election in [1951](/source/1951_Newfoundland_general_election).<ref name=mem/>

On January 15, 1959, Prime Minister [John Diefenbaker](/source/John_Diefenbaker) appointed Higgins as Newfoundland's first Progressive Conservative member of the [Senate of Canada](/source/Senate_of_Canada),<ref name=MCreg /> where he served until his death in 1963.<ref name=mem/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=4185}}

{{NL PC Leaders}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, John Gilbert}}
Category:1891 births
Category:1963 deaths
Category:Ice hockey people from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Canadian Rhodes Scholars
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs
Category:Politicians from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Sportspeople from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Canadian senators from Newfoundland and Labrador
Category:Alumni of Merton College, Oxford
Category:Canadian Army personnel
Category:Canadian military personnel of World War I
Category:Newfoundland and Labrador political party leaders
Category:Canadian sportsperson-politicians
Category:Dominion of Newfoundland people
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 [John Gilbert Higgins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_Higgins) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_Higgins?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.