Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1928-1971, predominant 1935-1966 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
6 cm of textual records. -- 15 audio discs.-- 33 photographs
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
William "Bible Bill" Aberhart, 1878-1943, was born in Ontario. He studied at the Hamilton Normal School and was granted his BA from Queen's University in 1911. In 1902 he married Janet Jessie Flatt, 1878-1966, and they had two children, Ola (MacNutt), 1905-2000, and Khona (Cooper), 1903-2000. In 1910 they moved to Calgary, Alberta and Aberhart became a high school principal. He was principal of Crescent Heights High School, 1915-1935. He ran popular bible classes, and in 1925 began his Sunday afternoon radio broadcasts, called the "Back to the Bible Hour". In 1927 he opened the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute, and two years later founded the Bible Institute Baptist Church. In 1932 he became interested in the monetary ideas of Major C.H. Douglas, who espoused state supervision of credit and dividend payments to citizens.
He founded the Social Credit League, and in 1935 became the premier of Alberta when Social Credit swept the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) government from power. The government was unable to implement Aberhart's proposed reforms because the legislation was disallowed by the federal government. Aberhart died in office. In 1974 the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated Aberhart as a National Historic Person.
For further information see Bible Bill / David R. Elliott and Iris Miller. - Edmonton : Reidmore Books, 1987.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Gifts of Ola MacNutt, Calgary Herald Public Relations Department, and Stephanie Alexander, 1981-1982.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds consists of recorded radio broadcasts (1936-1940); miscellaneous speeches, lectures, correspondence and greeting cards (1935-1943); appointment as President of Alberta Executive Council (1935); and family photographs. Includes programs of memorial events, and recordings of Aberhart Memorial Service (1943) and opening of Aberhart Memorial Sanatorium (1952).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No restrictions on access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The material is in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
The radio broadcasts are also available on audio cassettes.
Related units of description
- The majority of Aberhart's official records are at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
- The University of Calgary holds many of his personal papers.
- Some 1937 radio broadcasts are in the CFCN fonds, a transcription disc of a 1938 speech is in the CFAC Radio fonds, and transcripts of speeches from the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute and as Premier are in the Fred Kennedy fonds, and the J. McKinley Cameron fonds, at Glenbow.
- see also the John Blackmore fonds and Iris Miller's William Aberhart research collection
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of records.
Note
The CFCN broadcasts are RCT 142.
Note
The CFAC disc is RAD 49-38. It is also available on cassette RAT 51-12 in the same fonds.
Note
The Kennedy speeches are M 1621, files 4-11 and vol. 1-4.
Note
The Cameron speeches are M 6840, file 941.
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Thursday, April 02, 2015