Herbert Ames
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Sir Herbert Brown Ames (27 June 1863 – March 31, 1954) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist and politician.
Born in Montreal, the only son of Evan Fisher Ames (who founded the shoe manufacturer Ames, Holden & Company in 1856) and Caroline Matilda Brown, Ames inherited the family shoe company and later worked in insurance but used much of his fortune to help the poor and fight corruption. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1885. He helped organize the Volunteer Electoral League and became alderman (City Councillor) in Montreal in 1898 and served until 1906. He became a Member of Parliament in 1904 representing the Conservative Party of Canada and served until 1920. In 1919 he served as a financial director for the League of Nations. He is best known for his book The city below the hill: a sociological study of a portion of the city of Montreal, Canada, which originally appeared in the form of newspaper articles in the Montreal Star in 1897. the book offered a sociological and statistical analysis of the conditions of the poor people in Griffintown and Point St. Charles, just south of downtown Montreal. Ames was an avid philanthropist and funded a 39 unit apartment housing complex on William Street between Shannon and Ann for the poor. It has since been demolished.
He died in Montreal in 1954. Parc Herbert-Brown-Ames in Montreal is named in his honour.
[edit] References
- Herbert Brown Ames at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Synopsis of federal political experience from the Library of Parliament
| Parliament of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas George Roddick |
Member of Parliament for St. Antoine 1904–1921 |
Succeeded by Walter George Mitchell |
