As well as having served as a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of
Commons for sixteen years, T. Gordon Towers has been a leader in community
affairs.
Thomas Gordon Towers was born on July 5, 1919, at Red Deer, Alberta. He is
the son of Thomas H. Towers and Janet Morrison and is an Elder of the
Presbyterian Church in Canada. Following the completion of his elementary and
secondary education, he became a farmer.
On December 27, 1940, he married Doris R. Nicholson, the daughter of R.J.
Nicholson of Red Deer. They have five children: Thomas R., Gary L., Lynda M.,Ross G., and Leona.
T. Gordon Towers has served as President of the following organizations:
River Glen Home and School Association (1956-57),
Red Deer Exhibition Association (1964-66),
Prairie Fairs Association (1965-66),
and the Red Deer 4-H Council (1966-67).
As well, he was Deputy Grand Master and Grand Master of the Red Deer District Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons in 1963-64 and
1967-68, respectively.
After running unsuccessfully as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the
electoral district of Red Deer at the Canadian federal elections of 1963 and 1965,
T. Gordon Towers was first elected to the House of Commons at the general
election of October 30, 1972. He was then reelected as the representative of the
Progressive Conservative Party for Red Deer at the general elections of 1974, 1979,
1980, and 1984.
During his period of service as a Member of Parliament, T. Gordon Towers
was a Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly (1978) and a Delegate of
the Canadian Branch, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, to the 29th
Parliamentary Seminar which was held at Westminster (1980). As well, he served as
Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections (1979-80), Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture (1979-80), Official
Opposition Critic for the Ministry of Supply and Services (1982-84), Deputy Official
Opposition Critic for the Ministery of Veterans Affairs (1983-84), Parliamentary
Secretary to the Solicitor General (1984-86), and Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of State for Science and Technology (1986-87). T. Gordon Towers did not
contest the federal general election of November 2, 1988.
In 1989, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and in
1990, Citizen of the Year by the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.
On the advice of Prime Minister M. Brian Mulroney, T. Gordon Towers was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta effective March 11, 1991. This appointment was made by Ramon J. Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada. T. Gordon Towers served as
Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta until his successor,
Bud Olson, was appointed effective April 17,1996.
Gordon Towers died on June 8, 1999 at Red Deer, Alberta and was buried in the Red Deer Cemetery.
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