Lieutenant Graham Ford Towers

Lieutenant (Army).

Graham George Auldjo Ford Towers the son of William Crawford Towers and Caroline Auldjo Towers was born in Montreal on 29 September 1897 (not in 1896 as he stated above as he was Too young to Enlist). Graham attended the High School of Montreal until 1911 when he attended St Andrews College in Aurora Ontario and enjoyed playing Cricket and being a St Andrews College Army Cadet . Graham graduated in 1913 from St Andrews with first class Honors. In the fall of 1913 Graham enrolled in McGill University in Montreal winning the MacKenzie fellowship in Economics in his Sophomore year. Also in 1915 Graham Towers was a member of Canadian Officer Training Corps at McGill University.During the summer of 1915 Graham Towers left McGill for Stanley Barracks and Officer Training at Exhibition Place where he was commissioned a Provisional Lieutenant in the Canadian Army Service Corps 7 weeks short of his(actual) 18th Birthday on 29 September 1915. On 8 December 1915 Lt Towers passed his qualifying exam and on the 11 Dec 1915 Lt Towers obtained his Certificate in Equitation( Horsemanship). On 16 March 1917 Lt Graham Towers joins the CEF and is shipped to France as a Rail head Supply Officer attached to the British 1st Army Headquarters. In 1918 Lt Towers contracted Influenza and was returned to Canada by Christmas 1918 to recover.In the Spring of 1919 Graham Towers was back at McGill University studying Law then he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with first class Honors in Economics and Political Science in December of 1919 wearing his Army Service Corps uniform for the last time as a member of the Veterans Accelerated Class .LT Graham F Towers was discharged from the Canadian Army Service Corps on 13 September 1919.

Graham Ford Towers CC ( Companion Order of St Michael and St George 1 Jan 1944) 29 Sep 1897-4 Dec 1975 was the first Governor of The Bank of Canada from 1924 until 1954.

In January of 1920 Graham Towers became the second University graduate hired by the Royal Bank of Canada when he was hired as an Economist. On 1 Feb 1924 Graham Towers marries Mary ( Mollie or Molly) Godfrey in the St George's Anglican church in Montreal. By 1933 Graham had become Assistant General Manager of the Royal Bank and on 8 September 1934 Graham Towers became the first Governor of the newly created Bank of Canada.Since 1939 Graham Towers became a Wartime Financial Advisor Chairman of Foreign Exchange Control and a member of Wartime Requirements Board and on 21 Oct 1941 Graham Towers was appointed for another 7 year term as Governor of The Bank of Canada. In 1943 Graham Towers became Chairman of the National War Finance Committee and in 1944 Graham became President of the Industrial Development Bank( 1944-54).With WW2 over in 1945 Graham Towers become alternate Governor from 1946 until 1954 of the International Monetary Fund until his retirement as Governor of The Bank of Canada on 31 December 1954 at 57 years of age. Graham Towers was appointed a Director of a number of Companies until his health started to fail a year before his death in 1975. Graham Ford Towers died in Ottawa on 4 December 1975 and he was cremated and buried in The Mount Royal Cemetery(Cimetiere Mont Royal)( as are mother Caroline Father William and his sister Grace) in the Montreal area ( Outremont).