The Honourable Gordon Towers

On the advice of Prime Minister M. Brian Mulroney, T. Gordon Towers was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta March 11, 1991 and served as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta until April 17, 1996.

He served as the third Chancellor of the Alberta Order of Excellence from 1991 – 1996.

Thomas Gordon Towers was born on July 5, 1919, at Red Deer, Alberta. He was the son of Thomas H. Towers and Janet Morrison and was 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 had 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, Red Deer Exhibition Association, Prairie Fairs Association, and the Red Deer 4-H Council. As well, he was Deputy Grand Master and Grand Master of the Red Deer District Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons.

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 and a Delegate of the Canadian Branch, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, to the 29th Parliamentary Seminar which was held at Westminster. As well, he served as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Official Opposition Critic for the Ministry of Supply and Services, Deputy Official Opposition Critic for the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State for Science and Technology. T. Gordon Towers did not contest the federal general election of November 2, 1988.

In 1989, T. Gordon Towers was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and in 1990, Citizen of the Year by the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.

T. Gordon Towers died on June 8, 1999 at Red Deer, Alberta and was buried in the Red Deer Cemetery.