Quick Facts
Biography
John Wallace de Beque Farris, QC (December 3, 1878 – February 25, 1970) was a Canadian lawyer and politician.
Born in White's Cove, New Brunswick, the son of Laughlin P. Farris and Louise Hay, he was educated at St. Martin's Seminary, received his Bachelor of Arts from Acadia University and received his Bachelor of Law from the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1905, Farris married Evlyn Fenwick Keirstead of Windsor, Nova Scotia. They had four children : Katherine Hay, Donald Fenwick, Ralph Keirstead and John Lauchlan.
He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1903. He founded the law firm now called Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP and was the first prosecutor of Vancouver.
In 1907, he ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the riding of Vancouver. He lost again in 1909 for the riding of Richmond.
He was elected in 1916 as a Liberal MLA for the riding of Vancouver and was re-elected in 1920. From 1917 to 1922, he was the Attorney General and Minister of Labour.
Farris was active in the Canadian Bar Association, serving as President in 1937-38.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Farris was instrumental in raising funds and persuading the provincial government to create the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia.
In 1937, Farris was appointed to the Senate of Canada representing the senatorial division of Vancouver South, British Columbia. He served until his death in 1970. Late in life, he was known within the Liberal Party as a staunch supporter of Pierre Trudeau's leadership and an opponent of Senate reform.
Other spellings of name
- John Wallace Debeque Farris
- John Wallace deBeque Farris