William Henry Cushing - Later Life and Legacy

Later Life and Legacy

Cushing was the first chairman of the Mount Royal College Board of Governors, holding the post from 1910 until 1926, when he was designated Honorary Chairman. He died in Calgary January 25, 1934 of a heart attack. Calgary's W. H. Cushing Workplace School is named in his honour.

Cushing is primarily remembered for his role in the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal. In assessing his role in that episode, Thomas has suggested that his actions were motivated by something other than "revulsion against what appeared to be an unwise contract with a railway company". Instead, he believes that Cushing had concluded that he, rather than Rutherford, should be premier, and began to conduct himself publicly in such a way as to undermine Rutherford's authority. Whatever his motivations, Cushing's resignation precipitated a scandal that ended Alexander Rutherford's political career, and in so doing had a profound effect on Alberta's political history. In evaluating his legacy, Roome also considers his role in establishing the government telephone system, which in her opinion "produced serious financial difficulties" for the province in the years ahead.