Ralph Klein
| Ralph Klein | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 12th Premier of Alberta | |
|
In office December 14, 1992 – December 14, 2006 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Lieutenant Governor |
Gordon Towers Bud Olson Lois Hole Normie Kwong |
| Preceded by | Don Getty |
| Succeeded by | Ed Stelmach |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Elbow | |
|
In office March 20, 1989 – January 15, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | David John Russell |
| Succeeded by | Craig Cheffins |
| Alberta Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs | |
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In office June 1993 – September 15, 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Elzinga |
| Succeeded by | Ken Rostad |
| Alberta Minister of the Environment | |
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In office March 1989 – December 14, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Ian Reid |
| Succeeded by | Brian Evans |
| 32nd Mayor of Calgary | |
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In office October 27, 1980 – March 21, 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Ross Alger |
| Succeeded by | Donald Adam Hartman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ralph Phillip Klein November 1, 1942 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Died | March 29, 2013 (aged 70) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Hilda Hepner (divorced), Colleen Klein |
| Children | 3 and 2 stepchildren |
| Alma mater | Athabasca University |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Signature |  |
Ralph Phillip Klein, OC AOE (November 1, 1942 – March 29, 2013) was a Canadian politician who served as the 12th Premier of Alberta and leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta from 1992 until his retirement in 2006. Klein's tenure as premier ended when the Alberta Progressive Conservatives' new leader, Ed Stelmach, assumed office December 14, 2006, exactly fourteen years after Klein first became Premier. His nickname was "King Ralph", a reference to his political longevity and his management style. Klein continued the PC dynasty, winning four consecutive majority governments.
Klein was born in Calgary, to Phillip Andrew Klein (1917-2014) and Florence Harper (1924–2004). His paternal grandparents were immigrants, from Germany and England, respectively. His parents separated when he was 6 and he lived with his maternal grandparents in the city's north end. His father, Phil, was born in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, grew up poor and rode the rails during the Great Depression in search of work. In the early 1940s he married Florence Harper, a waitress, and lived in her parents' basement in Calgary while trying to make ends meet working in construction. After separating from his mother, Klein's father worked as a professional wrestler in the Alberta circuit for most of the 1950s using the name Phil "The Killer" Klein and later became a businessman.
Ralph Klein grew up in a working-class part of Calgary and dropped out of high school, joined the RCAF reserves, then completed high school later in life. Klein attended Calgary Business College, and later served as president of that institution. He later studied at Athabasca University. He was public relations official at the Red Cross and United Way's offices in Calgary from 1963 to 1969. From 1969 to 1980 he was a television reporter.
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