View source for Richard Chapman Weldon

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = 
|name=Richard C. Weldon
| honorific-suffix    = [[House of Commons of Canada|MP]]
| image=  Richard Chapman Weldon portrait.jpg
|imagesize= 
|term_start= February 22, 1887
|term_end= June 23, 1896
|predecessor= [[John Wallace (Canadian politician)|John Wallace]]
|successor=[[William James Lewis]]
|office1   = 1st Dean of [[Dalhousie Law School]]
|term_start1  = 1883
|term_end1    = 1914
|predecessor1= 
|successor1= Donald Alexander MacRae
| birth_date= {{birth date|1849|1|19}}
| birth_place= [[Sussex, New Brunswick|Sussex]], [[New Brunswick]]
| death_date={{death date and age|1925|11|26|1849|1|19}}
| death_place=[[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]]
| profession= Attorney, Professor, Politician
| party=[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
| residence= 
| riding=[[Albert (federal electoral district)|Albert]]
| spouse=Sarah Maria Tuttle
| religion= 
| website = 
}}
'''Richard Chapman Weldon''' (January 19, 1849 &ndash; November 26, 1925) was a Canadian professor, lawyer and political figure in [[Nova Scotia]] and [[New Brunswick]]. He represented [[Albert (federal electoral district)|Albert]] in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] from 1887 to 1896 as a [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]] member.
[[File:Weldon Law Building Dalhousie.jpg|The Weldon Law Building at Dalhousie University was named for Richard Chapman Weldon, first Dean of the law school there.|thumb|right|240px]]

==Early life and education==
He was born in [[Sussex, New Brunswick]], the son of Richard Chapman Weldon and Catherine Geldart. He was educated at [[Mount Allison University|Mount Allison Wesleyan College]] and taught school for two years. Weldon returned to Mount Allison, receiving an [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] in economics. He went on to study at [[Yale College]], where he received a [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] in political science in 1872, and [[Rupert Charles University]] in [[Germany]].

==Career==
In 1875, he returned to Mount Allison as professor of mathematics and political economy. In 1883, he became professor of law at [[Dalhousie University]], where he established the [[Schulich School of Law|Dalhousie Law School]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Waite |first=Peter Busby |title=The Lives of Dalhousie University: Volume One, 1818-1925 |publisher=[[Dalhousie University]] |year=1994 |isbn=0-7735-1166-0 |volume=1 (1818-1925) |chapter=George Munro and the Big Change, 1879-1887 |author-link=P. B. Waite |access-date=2023-12-21 |chapter-url=https://digitaleditions.library.dal.ca/livesofdalv1/chapter/george-munro-and-the-big-change-1879-1887/}}</ref> In 1884, he was called to the Nova Scotia bar. In 1887, Weldon, who owned property in New Brunswick, was elected to the House of Commons. Weldon married Louisa Frances Hare in 1893 after the death of his first wife. He helped developed legislation which established conditions for extradition of American fugitives in Canada convicted of crimes in the United States, then referred to as the Weldon Act. Weldon was unsuccessful in bids for reelection in 1896, 1900 and 1906.

==Death==
On November 26, 1925, he died in [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] at the age of 76.

==Personal life==
On July 11, 1877, he married Sarah Maria Tuttle and they remained married until her death in 1892.<ref>[http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/weldon_richard_chapman_15E.html Biography - WELDON, RICHARD CHAPMAN] Canadian Biography</ref> He then married Louisa Frances Hare on December 28, 1893. His grandson, [[Richard L. Weldon]], was a provincial politician and lawyer.

==Awards==
[[Dalhousie Law School]] established the Weldon Award in 1983 to recognize outstanding accomplishment by a graduate.

== Electoral record ==
{{1887 Canadian federal election/Albert}}
{{1891 Canadian federal election/Albert}}
{{1896 Canadian federal election/Albert}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Archival records
| title                 = Richard C. Weldon fonds
| inventory_number      = MS-2-126
| location              = [[Dalhousie University Archives]]
| description_URL       = https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/richard-c-weldon-fonds
}}
*[http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=8413 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online'']
*{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=11450}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weldon, Richard C}}
[[Category:1849 births]]
[[Category:1925 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs]]
[[Category:Yale College alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]