Macdonald sought
Liberal Party nomination to run for election to the
House of Commons of Canada for the
1926 election, but lost the nomination by a single vote. He won the nomination for the
Brantford riding in the
next election, but lost the election. Macdonald was elected in the
1935 election. He served as
Member of Parliament (MP) until 1953. During
World War II, Macdonald was a staunch supporter of
conscription. His position is made clear in this wartime quote taken from a Canadian newspaper, "There is a victory to be won and that can be accomplished only by every Canadian taking part." After the war, he served as Deputy Speaker (1945–1949) and then as Speaker of the House of Commons (1949–1953). While serving as Speaker of the House of Commons Macdonald made a famous ruling, banning musical instruments from being played in the Chamber, on June 3, 1950. The ban came about after
Daniel McIvor MP for
Fort William played a flute while waiting for a vote call. In 1953,
Governor General Vincent Massey, on the advice of
Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, appointed Macdonald to the
Senate of Canada, where he became
Leader of the Government in the Canadian Senate and a
minister without portfolio in the
Canadian Cabinet. From 1954 until the Liberal government's defeat in the
1957 election, Macdonald served as
Solicitor General of Canada. With the defeat of the Liberals, he became
Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Senate, and served again as Government Leader when the Liberals returned to power in 1963. He retired from the Cabinet in 1964. From 1964 to 1972, he was the second Chancellor of
Waterloo Lutheran University. Governor General
Roland Michener, on the advice of
Lester Pearson, appointed Macdonald to serve as
Lieutenant Governor from 1968 to 1974. In this role, he was involved with many service groups, such as the
Canadian Order of Foresters and the
Kiwanis Club. In 1974, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada. The Ontario School for the Blind in Brantford was renamed the
W. Ross Macdonald School in his honour. He died in Toronto in 1976. == Freemasonry ==