Alexander Cameron Rutherford

The Honourable Alexander Cameron Rutherford KC
Portrait by Elliott & Fry, c. 1908–1910
1st Premier of Alberta
In office September 2, 1905 – May 26, 1910
Monarchs	Edward VII George V
Lieutenant Governor	George H. V. Bulyea
Succeeded by	Arthur Sifton
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Strathcona
In office November 9, 1905 – April 17, 1913
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	District abolished
Alberta Provincial Treasurer
In office September 9, 1905 – June 1, 1910
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Arthur Sifton
Alberta Minister of Education
In office September 9, 1905 – June 1, 1910
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Charles R. Mitchell
Alberta Minister of Railways
In office November 1, 1909 – June 1, 1910
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Vacant Arthur Sifton (1912)
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Strathcona
In office May 21, 1902 – September 1, 1905
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	District abolished
Personal details
Born	February 2, 1857 near Ormond, Canada West
Died	June 11, 1941(1941-06-11) (aged 84) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Political party	Alberta Liberal
Other political affiliations	North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative Party (1890s–1905)
Spouse	Mattie Birkett ​ ​ (m. 1888; died 1940)​
Children	3
Alma mater	McGill University
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

Alexander Cameron Rutherford KC (February 2, 1857 – June 11, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Canada West, he studied and practiced law in Ottawa before he moved with his family to the North-West Territories in 1895. Besides his work as lawyer, he began a political career that would see him first serve as member of the North-West Legislative Assembly and then as MLA and premier of Alberta. He lost the premiership in 1910 due to the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal. He later was prominent in the administration of the University of Alberta, beside which his family lived for decades. His former home, Rutherford House is located on the grounds of the University of Alberta.

In keeping with the territorial custom, while NWT member, Rutherford described himself as an independent but generally supported the administration of NWT Premier Frederick W. A. G. Haultain. At the federal level, however, Rutherford was a prominent Liberal.

When the Province of Alberta was formed in 1905, its Lieutenant Governor, George Bulyea, asked Rutherford to form the new province's first government. As premier, Rutherford's first task was to win a workable majority in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, which he did in that year's provincial election. His second was to organize the provincial government, and his government established everything from speed limits to a provincial court system. The legislature also controversially, and with Rutherford's support, selected Edmonton over rival Calgary as the provincial capital. Calgarians' bruised feelings were not salved when the government located the University of Alberta, a project dear to the Premier's heart, in his hometown of Strathcona, just across the North Saskatchewan River from Edmonton.

The government was faced with labour unrest in the coal mining industry, which it resolved by establishing a commission to examine the problem. It also set up a provincial government telephone network (Alberta Government Telephones) at great expense, and tried to encourage the development of new railways. It was in pursuit of the last objective that the Rutherford government found itself embroiled in scandal. Early in 1910, William Henry Cushing's resignation as Minister of Public Works precipitated the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal, which turned many of Rutherford's Liberals against his government. Eventually, pressure from many party figures forced Rutherford to resign. He kept his seat in the legislature after resigning as premier, but he was defeated in the 1913 election by Conservative Herbert Crawford.

After leaving politics, Rutherford continued his law practice and his involvement with a wide range of community groups. Most importantly, he became chancellor of the University of Alberta, whose earlier founding had been a personal project, and stayed in that position until he died of a heart attack. A University of Alberta library, an Edmonton elementary school, and Jasper National Park's Mount Rutherford are named in his honour. Additionally, his home, Rutherford House, was opened as a museum in 1973, and is an Alberta provincial historic site.^[1]