Sir William Maxwell Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook) (1879-1964)

Sir William Maxwell Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook) was an important, controversial financier in Canada, an outspoken owner of a newspaper empire in Great Britain, and a key player in mobilizing support and resources for the Allied nations during the world wars.

Aitken was born in 1879 in Maple, Ontario. Shortly after Aitken’s birth, the family moved to Newcastle (now Miramichi), New Brunswick, and it was there that the mischievous and clever “Max” spent his childhood. In the early 20th century, Aitken established himself as a leading but controversial Canadian financier. He began in 1900 selling utility bonds. In 1907, he moved to Montréal and soon turned his energy to promoting new businesses and merging old ones. Several major mergers made Aitken a very rich man, but they also led to a reputation as an aggressive and, in some circles, scheming figure.

In 1910, Aitken and his family relocated to London. There, he entered politics and established important ties with numerous powerful figures, including several future prime ministers. He was knighted in 1911 and was granted peerage in 1916, becoming 1st Baron Beaverbrook. He later wielded considerable influence as a press baron.

Beaverbrook was prominent in both world wars. He had considerable impact on how the Canadian war effort was perceived during the First World War, creating for example the Canadian War Records Office in 1916, which documented the conflict. He also helped shape its remembrance by establishing the Canadian War Memorials Fund, which commissioned the work of artists at the front and left Canadians with a rich legacy of war art. As Britain’s Minister of Aircraft Production during the Second World War, he drove the manufacture of the Spitfire planes, which were key to winning the Battle of Britain. He was also appointed to Churchill’s war cabinet, and was one of the few men to serve on the war cabinet during both of the world wars.

In the years following the Second World War, Beaverbrook visited his home province of New Brunswick more often. His generosity to Canada is evident in New Brunswick where he was a leading benefactor to the University of New Brunswick and the founder and the sponsor of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

-30-