Memorable Manitobans: Randolph Murray Fisher (1886-1965)

Click to enlarge

Randolph Murray Fisher
Click to enlarge

Lawyer, civil servant.

Born on a homestead west of Portage la Prairie on 18 September 1886, he was educated at Poplar Bluff School and Portage Collegiate. He attended Queen’s University and was the university medallist in political economy, as well as the first athletic stick. He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1914, and served in the Canadian Tank Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War.

He practised law with the Aikins firm (and also administered succession duties for the provincial government) until 1928, when he was appointed legislative counsel, serving in the position until 1930 when he made a King's Counsel. A year later he became Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Deputy Provincial Secretary, jobs he held until retirement in 1958. He was made a Crown Attorney in 1947 and temporary replacement as Civil Service Commissioner for the recently drafted Civil Service Act.

He was Treasurer and President of the Committee on Uniformity of Legislation in Canada (1930-1946), a member of the Manitoba School Divisions Boundaries Commission, and Chairman of the Sanitary Control Commission (1935) which was instrumental in establishing controls on pollution of rivers from sewage discharge. He was a member of the Manitoba Medical Services Board (1955-1965), Chairman of the Municipal Enquiry Commission, and, at the time of his death, was Vice-Chairman of the Winnipeg Police Commission.

In recognition of his meritorious community service, he received the King George V Jubilee Medal (1935), an honorary degree from the University of Manitoba (1952), and a Manitoba Golden Boy Award (1963).

In 1920, he married Mabel Katherine Scholes (1889-1965) at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They had three children: Nancy Vincent Fisher, Shelagh McInnes Fisher, and Paul Murray Fisher.

He and his wife both suffered fatal heart attacks in their home on the same evening, on 17 July 1965. He was buried in the St. John’s Cathedral Cemetery.

His articles for the Manitoba Historical Society:

Local Government Reorganization
MHS Transactions, Series 3, 1960-61 Season

Sources:

Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“11 Manitoba barristers named K.C.’s,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 January 1930, page 1.

“R. Murray Fisher and wife both die,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 July 1965, page 3.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 20 July 1965, page 23.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 22 May 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!