Thomas Clement Douglas PC CC SOM (October 20, 1904 – February 24, 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as the seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and later as the Leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 1961 to 1971. Originally a Baptist minister, Douglas was first elected to the House of Commons in 1935 as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). He left federal politics to become the Leader of the Saskatchewan CCF and subsequently the seventh Premier of Saskatchewan, where his government introduced North America's first single-payer, universal healthcare program. After establishing Saskatchewan's universal healthcare system, Douglas stepped down as premier and successfully ran to become the first federal leader of the newly formed NDP, the successor to the national CCF, in 1961. Although he never led the NDP to form a government, the party frequently held the balance of power in the House of Commons during his leadership. Douglas was also known for his strong opposition to the imposition of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis of 1970. He resigned as NDP leader in 1971 but continued to serve as a Member of Parliament until 1979. Douglas received numerous honorary degrees throughout his life, and a foundation was established in his name and that of his political mentor, M. J. Coldwell, in 1971. He was invested into the Order of Canada in 1981 and became a member of Canada's Privy Council in 1984, just two years before his death. In 2004, a CBC Television program named Tommy Douglas "The Greatest Canadian," based on a nationwide viewer-supported survey.

Tommy Douglas - Wikipedia