Alexander Bell Patterson
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Alexander Bell Patterson (born April 22, 1911) was a long time Canadian Member of Parliament and was briefly leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada. Patterson, a minister by profession, was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1953 election from the riding of Fraser Valley, British Columbia. He was defeated in the 1958 election, but returned to Parliament in 1962.
He became acting leader of the Social Credit Party in 1967 when leader Robert N. Thompson and MP Howard Johnston crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Bud Olson also left the party at this time to join the Liberal Party of Canada, leaving Patterson as the leader of a two man Social Credit caucus. Patterson led the party into the 1968 election in which both MPs were defeated.
Patterson returned to Parliament in the 1972 election, this time as a Progressive Conservative, and was subsequently re-elected as a Tory until his retirement from politics in 1984.
| Preceded by: Robert N. Thompson | National Leaders of Social Credit | Succeeded by: Réal Caouette |