# Tilly Rolston

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**Tilly Jean Rolston** (née **Cameron**; February 23, 1887 – October 12, 1953) was a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) politician. She was the [member of the Legislative Assembly](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly) (MLA) of [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) for [Vancouver-Point Grey](/source/Vancouver-Point_Grey) from 1941 to 1953, and served as minister of education under [Premier](/source/Premier_of_British_Columbia) [W. A. C. Bennett](/source/W._A._C._Bennett) from 1952 to 1953.

## Biography

Born in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), she attended the [University of British Columbia](/source/University_of_British_Columbia) and the Vancouver Provincial Normal School.[1] She worked as a schoolteacher in Vancouver before marrying Frederick James Rolston in 1909; they had three children together.[1] She served as a director of the [Pacific National Exhibition](/source/Pacific_National_Exhibition), and as a commissioner on the [Vancouver Park Board](/source/Vancouver_Park_Board) from 1938 to 1946.[1][2]

She was first elected to the [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia) as a [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_of_British_Columbia) in the [1941 provincial election](/source/1941_British_Columbia_general_election), becoming one of three MLAs representing [Vancouver-Point Grey](/source/Vancouver-Point_Grey) alongside [Royal Maitland](/source/Royal_Maitland) and [James Alexander Paton](/source/James_Alexander_Paton),[1][3]: 198 and was re-elected in [1945](/source/1945_British_Columbia_general_election) and [1949](/source/1949_British_Columbia_general_election) as part of the [Liberal](/source/British_Columbia_Liberal_Party)-Conservative coalition.[3]: 208, 218 During that time, she served as chairperson of the Select Standing Committee on Social Welfare, and was part of the effort that allowed margarine sold in British Columbia to be coloured yellow.[1] She left the coalition in March 1951 over the government's stance on hospital insurance, and sat in the legislature as an [independent](/source/Independent_politician) MLA before joining [W. A. C. Bennett](/source/W._A._C._Bennett) in the [British Columbia Social Credit Party](/source/British_Columbia_Social_Credit_Party) (Socred) in February 1952.[4][5][6]

With the Socreds forming a [minority government](/source/Minority_government) following the watershed [1952 election](/source/1952_British_Columbia_general_election), Rolston was named minister of education in the [Bennett ministry](/source/W._A._C._Bennett_ministry), becoming the second woman [cabinet](/source/Cabinet_(government)) minister in British Columbia, and the first woman in Canada to have a portfolio.[1][5][7] In that role, she brought in a new method of school finance that came to be known as the "Rolston Formula",[6] and was also instrumental in introducing what was effectively a sex-education program into the school curriculum.[1]

She lost to [Liberal](/source/British_Columbia_Liberal_Party) leader [Arthur Laing](/source/Arthur_Laing) in the [1953 election](/source/1953_British_Columbia_general_election).[3]: 253[6] Despite her defeat, she remained education minister until her death from cancer four months later following an operation;[6][7] she became the first woman in British Columbia to receive a state funeral.[1]

Her grandson [Peter Rolston](/source/Peter_Rolston) served as [Dewdney](/source/Dewdney_(electoral_district)) MLA from 1972 to 1975.[1]

## External links

- ["Tilly Rolston"](https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn/watv/biographies/tilly-rolston). *leg.bc.ca*. [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia). Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- Francis, Daniel (ed.) (1999). *[Encyclopedia of British Columbia](/source/Encyclopedia_of_British_Columbia)*. Harbour Publishing. ISBN 1-55017-200-X.

## References

1. Noakes, Taylor C. (October 20, 2022). ["Tilly Rolston"](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tilly-rolston). *thecanadianencyclopedia.ca*. [Canadian Encyclopedia](/source/Canadian_Encyclopedia). Retrieved 2025-10-18.

1. ["Board Commissioners"](https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca/pastcommissioners.htm). [Vancouver Park Board](/source/Vancouver_Park_Board). February 7, 2011. Retrieved 2025-10-18.

1. ["Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871–1986"](http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf). Elections BC. pp. 198, 208, 218, 253. Retrieved 2025-10-18.

1. ["A checklist of members of the Legislature of British Columbia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130627222059/http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/checklist_of_mlas.pdf). Legislative Library of British Columbia. 2013-05-16. Archived from [the original](http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/checklist_of_mlas.pdf) on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2022-03-26.

1. ["Woman Minister With Portfolio First To Hold Such Post Here"](https://books.google.com/books?id=NowjAAAAIBAJ&dq=Tilly+Rolston&pg=PA4&article_id=7287,481493). *[The Gazette](/source/The_Gazette_(Montreal))*. 1952-08-05. Retrieved 2025-10-18.

1. ["Mrs. Tilly Rolston Dies in Hospital"](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZIBlAAAAIBAJ&dq=Tilly+Rolston&pg=PA1&article_id=2584,2064877). *[Vancouver Sun](/source/Vancouver_Sun)*. 1953-10-13. Retrieved 2025-10-18.

1. Bennett, Judith Antonik & Verspoor, Frederike (1989). ["British Columbia Executive Council Appointments: 1871-1986"](https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/47984/execouncil.pdf). British Columbia Legislative Library. pp. 58, 60. Retrieved 2025-10-18.

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