Gordon Roy McGregor

Gordon Roy McGregor, C.C., O.B.E., D.F.C., B.Sc., LL.D.(Hon), was born in Montreal, Quebec, on September 26, 1901. He was educated there and at St. Andrew's College, Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal, in 1923 with a B.Sc. degree in engineering. He then joined Bell Telephone Company in Montreal, and after serving several years in the engineering department, he became Division Engineer at Ottawa, Ontario, in 1929. He was promoted to District Manager at Kingston, Ontario, in 1932, and moved back to Montreal in 1938 as Central District Manager.

McGregor's flying career began at Kingston in 1932 and the following year he obtained his Pilot's Licence at Ottawa. He entered piloting competitions, and won the Webster Trophy in 1935, 1936 and again in 1938, as the best amateur pilot in Canada. He then joined No. 115 Auxiliary Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a Flying Officer and in 1939 he proceeded overseas with No. 1 RCAF Fighter Squadron.

He served as a fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) for his actions against enemy aircraft. In 1941 he was promoted to Squadron Leader and commanded both the 1st and 2nd Canadian Fighter Squadrons in England. He returned to Canada in 1942 to assist in the development of fighter operations in Western Air Command. As Commanding Officer of X Wing he was appointed to head the force sent to Alaska, and served as the point of contact between the Alaska Defence Command and the RCAF. McGregor subsequently headed No. 14 Fighter Squadron in the Aleutians before commanding the RCAF Station at Patricia Bay, British Columbia, with the rank of Group Captain.

In 1944 McGregor was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.), and for his exceptional services as a wartime leader and administrator in the European theatre of operations, was decorated with the Netherlands' Order of Orange Nassau with Swords, France's Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, and Czechoslovakia's War Cross.

When the war ended in 1945, McGregor was hired by Trans-Canada Airlines at Montreal as General Traffic Manager. In 1948 he was named President of the airline, taking over from TCA's second President, H.J. Symington. McGregor was the principal figure in guiding that airline through its difficult years of expansion, with the result that Air Canada, as it was renamed in 1965, became one of the world's leading carriers. He oversaw the move of TCA's head office from Winnipeg to Montreal in 1949, and the addition of several new, more comfortable passenger aircraft, including Lockheed Super Constellations in 1954, turboprop-powered Vickers Viscounts in 1955, Vanguards in 1960, Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft in 1960, and Douglas DC-9's in 1966. McGregor retired in 1968 after twenty years as President.

McGregor was active in community service and aviation-related organizations. He was named to the board of management of the Montreal General Hospital, the advisory council of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, and the national council of Boy Scouts of Canada. After serving on the traffic committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), he was elected to the executive committee in 1949, and in 1953 was elected President of that organization.

McGregor's many honours included being named an Honorary Fellow in both the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He was named a Commander Brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (C.St.J.) and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by McGill University. During Canada's centennial year, he was presented with CASI's 1967 C.D. Howe Award for his services to the nation. In 1968 he was created a Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.), and awarded the Pioneer Aviation Medal of the United States. He was appointed to a one year term as Grand President of the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association. He died at Montreal, Quebec, on March 3, 1971.

Gordon McGregor was inducted as a member of the Quebec Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2004 he was inducted into Canada's Business Hall of Fame.

Gordon Roy McGregor was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.