As premier of the province of Alberta, Canada, from 1935 to 1943, William Aberhart (1878-1943) was the first political leader who made the theories of social credit a basis for government.

William Aberhart was born on a farm in Huron County, Ontario, on Dec. 30, 1878. He was educated in the local schools, attended business college, and later received a teacher's certificate. After 2 years in a rural school, he moved to the small manufacturing city of Brantford and became a public school principal. In 1910 he received a bachelor of arts degree extramurally from Queen's University, an achievement which gave him great satisfaction. In the same year he moved with his wife and two daughters to Calgary, Alberta.

In 1915 Aberhart was appointed principal of a new high school in a prosperous, middle-class area. Although his enormous energy and organizing abilities brought him wide respect as a principal, he was less admired as a...