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Biography & Autobiography Political

Behind the Scenes

The Life and Work of William Clifford Clark

by (author) Robert A. Wardhaugh

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Dec 2010
Category
Political, Post-Confederation (1867-), Public Affairs & Administration
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442641266
    Publish Date
    Dec 2010
    List Price
    $109.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781442610521
    Publish Date
    Dec 2010
    List Price
    $55.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442686762
    Publish Date
    Sep 2013
    List Price
    $96
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442660458
    Publish Date
    Dec 2010
    List Price
    $44.95

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Description

William Clifford Clark, federal deputy minister of finance from 1932 to 1952, had a profound impact on Canadian history. An important intellectual figure during the first half of the twentieth century, he was leader of 'The Ottawa Men,' a group of federal civil servants who shaped a new liberal vision of the nation. Robert A. Wardhaugh chronicles Clark's contributions to Canada's modern state in Behind the Scenes, which reconstructs the public life and ideas of one of Canada's most important bureaucrats.

The Department of Finance sat at the centre of critical federal decisions and debates. From this axis, Clark's wide-ranging contributions to Canadian policy were nothing short of phenomenal: he was the driving force behind the creation of the Bank of Canada and he spearheaded national housing policy. Clarke also managed the economy during the Great Depression and during the Second World War and he was instrumental in forging Canada's international economic role in the postwar era.

About the author

Robert A. Wardhaugh is an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of Western Ontario.

Robert A. Wardhaugh's profile page

Editorial Reviews

‘Wardhaugh's biography is comprehensive, exhaustively reviewing the archival sources, well written and a pleasure to read… For anyone interested in the history and politics of mid-twentieth-century Canada, this is an essential read.’

Colin Campbell; <em>British Journal of Canadian Studies</em>: vol 24:02:2011