Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau

The Honorable Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau
1st Premier of Quebec
In office July 15, 1867 – February 25, 1873
Monarch	Victoria
Lieutenant Governor	Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau René-Édouard Caron
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Gédéon Ouimet
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Quebec County
In office 1844–1855
Preceded by	John Neilson
Succeeded by	François Évanturel
MLA for Québec-Comté
In office September 1, 1867 – February 25, 1873
Succeeded by	Pierre Garneau
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Quebec County
In office September 20, 1867 – January 22, 1874
Succeeded by	Adolphe-Philippe Caron
Senator for Stadacona, Quebec
In office February 20, 1873 – January 8, 1874
Preceded by	Joseph Édouard Cauchon
Succeeded by	Pierre Baillargeon
Speaker of the Senate of Canada
In office February 21, 1873 – January 8, 1874
Preceded by	Joseph Édouard Cauchon
Succeeded by	David Christie
Personal details
Born	(1820-05-30)May 30, 1820 Charlesbourg, Lower Canada
Died	Quebec City, Quebec
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Marie-Louise-Flore Masse
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (May 30, 1820 – April 4, 1890), born in Charlesbourg, near Quebec City, was the first Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec following the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

He was a lawyer by profession, and practiced in Quebec City. He co-founded the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste of Quebec City in 1842. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1844, and reelected in 1848, 1851, and 1854. He served as solicitor-general of Lower Canada, without a seat in cabinet, from 1851 to 1853. From 1855 to 1867, he was superintendent of the bureau of Education.

In 1867, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in Québec-Comté electoral district and headed a Conservative government as the first Premier of Quebec. He was also the Minister of Education and Provincial Secretary. Also beginning in 1867, he was simultaneously the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Quebec County (such "double mandates" were abolished in 1874). He resigned both his federal and provincial seats, as well the office of Premier, on February 25, 1873, following appointment as Speaker of the Canadian Senate on February 21, 1873. He resigned from the Senate on January 8, 1874, and later that year ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for Member of Parliament in the federal election in the riding of Charlevoix.

In 1878, he became professor of Roman law at Université Laval. He died April 4 in Quebec City in 1890. He had seven children, one of whom, Alexandre Chauveau, became a provincial politician in his own right.

His great-great-great-grandson is politician Thomas Mulcair.

External links

• Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau – Parliament of Canada biography
• http://www.1upinfo.com/encyclopedia/C/Chauveau.html
• Catholic Encyclopedia article

Professional and academic associations
Preceded by John William Dawson	President of the Royal Society of Canada 1883–1884	Succeeded by Thomas Sterry Hunt