Fonds consists of Minister of National Defence, Numbered Series, 1944-1963, 11.4 m; Minister of National Defence and Minister of Agriculture; Unnumbered Series, including subseries "The Nuclear Crisis", 1958-1963, 5 cm; "Personal" Correspondence, 1957-1963, 70 cm; and subject files, 1953-1963, 25 cm; Member of Parliament, Calgary North/Calgary Centre, correspondence, notes, etc., 1954-1972, 1.3 m; Speeches, articles and reference materials including subseries on Douglas S. Harkness, 1957-1967, 30 cm; speeches by others, 1957-1962, 5 cm; and newspaper clippings, 1957-1960, 40 cm. Fonds also consists of a variety of photographs taken from National Defence, Vasari Roma, the Seattle Times, and the Globe and Mail. Also included are maps and plans of Canada pertaining primarily to military establishments of the Department of National Defence. They include site plans of Camp Gagetown, RCSME Chilliwack, Valleyfield Military Camp, Curries Barracks & sarcee and R.C.C.S. Station Boundry Bay. There are also topographical maps and city plans of various locations across Canada.
Harkness, Douglas S. (Douglas Scott), 1903-1999 : Douglas Scott Harkness, cabinet minister, was born in Toronto, Ont. and educated at Central Collegiate, Calgary, and at the University of Alberta. He served in Sicily, Italy and North West Europe as Major and then Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Canadian Army from 1940 to 1945 and was posted to the Reserve of Officers in August 1945. From 1946 to 1949, Harkness was the Commanding Officer of the 41st Antitank Regiment, Reserve Army.
In 1945 Harkness was elected as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary North; he continued to serve that riding and its successor, Calgary Centre, until 1972. He entered the Diefenbaker Cabinet as Minister of Northern Affairs and Natural Resources and Acting Minister of Agriculture in June 1957 and was appointed Minister of Agriculture in August of that year. In October 1960, Harkness was appointed Minister of National Defence and held that post until his resignation from the Cabinet in February 1963.
See: Johnson, Directory of Parliament, p. 258.
