Don McDougall (baseball)

Don McDougall CM (born December 15, 1937) is a Canadian businessman. He served as president of the Labatt Brewing Company, and led the group that successfully lobbied for a Major League Baseball expansion team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Don McDougall
Born (1937-12-15) December 15, 1937 (age 86)
Alma materSaint Dunstan's University
University of Western Ontario
EmployerLabatt Brewing Company
Known forBringing Major League Baseball to Toronto

Baseball career
Member of the Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2002

Biography

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McDougall was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He graduated from Saint Dunstan's University with a bachelor's degree, and earned his MBA from the University of Western Ontario.[1]

He worked in several managerial positions for the Labatt Brewing Company, before being named the company's president in 1973. He resigned in 1980 to run for office in the federal elections as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.[2]

One of his tasks as president was to secure a Major League Baseball franchise for the brewery and the city of Toronto. He had to overcome a failed attempt to bring the San Francisco Giants to the city,[3] and also had to fend off a rival group of businessmen with the same goal of bringing baseball north. He was part of the team that eventually brought the Toronto Blue Jays into existence in 1976, and was the club's founding director.[3]

McDougall is a brother of Pat Mella, who served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island from 1990 to 1996.

Honours and affiliations

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References

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  1. ^ McDougall in the London Business Hall of Fame
  2. ^ McDougall as Progressive Conservative Party of Canada politician
  3. ^ a b As President of Labatt's Brewing
  4. ^ a b c "McDougall bio at the Canadian Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  5. ^ "Advisory Board profiles". Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. University of Waterloo. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Order of Canada appointees – June 2023". The Governor General of Canada. June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.