Article

Georges-Émile Lapalme

Published Online February 13, 2008

Last Edited October 20, 2014

Georges-Émile Lapalme, politician (b at Montréal 14 Jan 1907; d there 5 Feb 1985). Leader of the Québec Liberal Party 1950-58, he left his mark as a reformer of the party and thus helped prepare it for its role as catalyst of the QUIET REVOLUTION.

Lapalme, Georges-Émile

Georges-Émile Lapalme, politician (b at Montréal 14 Jan 1907; d there 5 Feb 1985). Leader of the Québec Liberal Party 1950-58, he left his mark as a reformer of the party and thus helped prepare it for its role as catalyst of the QUIET REVOLUTION. The Liberal member for Joliette-L'Assomption in the federal House of Commons, 1945-50, he was afterwards the Liberal member of the Québec Assembly for Outremont 1953-66. He served as deputy premier 1960-64 and attorney general 1960-63, but his greatest contribution was as the first minister of cultural affairs 1961-64. As such, he supervised the creation of the department and was responsible for the actions of the Québec state in cultural matters. After retiring from active political life, he was first chairman of the Canadian Film Development Corp (now TELEFILM CANADA) in 1968 and headed the Commission des biens culturels (1972-78). He published his memoirs 1969-73.