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Biographical history
Dr. S.F. Leavine, a public servant and member of Kitchener's medical profession, was born in 1896 in Elgin in Leeds County, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Francis Leavine. He received a public school education in the village of Elgin and attended Athens Highs School in Ontario. Leavine studied medicine at Queen's University in Kingston. He put himself through medical school by working in a cheese factory during summer vacations and graduated as Doctor of Medicine in 1920. After graduating he interned at Kingston General Hospital from 1920 to 1921, followed by a year of postgraduate studies at Belleview and Allied Hospitals in New York.
In 1921 Leavine married Desta G. Buse in Kingston. Two years later, they moved to Kitchener where Leavine opened a medical practice. He also served on the Kitchener Board of Health, the K-W Hospital Commission, and served as the President of the North Waterloo Academy of Medicine. Additionally, he was a member of the Ontario Medical Association and the Waterloo County Medical Association, and wrote several medical papers which were published in the British Medical Journal. During World War II Leavine served as a captain with the 24th Field Ambulance Reserve.
Leavine joined Kitchener city council as an alderman in 1938 and served in the role every year but one until 1949. He was elected Mayor of Kitchener in December 1949, serving his first two terms in 1950 and 1951. In Nov. 1951 Leavine was elected Progressive Conservative member for Waterloo North and served as M.P.P. until 1956 when he was defeated by John J. Wintermeyer of the Liberal party. In 1956 Leavine returned to city council as an alderman. He was elected as Mayor of Kitchener once again in December 1957.
Leavine was a member of the Waterloo College Board and of Queen's University Alumni. He was also a member of the original organizing group of the Ontario Pioneer Community Foundation, a member of several lodges including Twin City Lodge, AF and AM; Lodge of Perfection; Rose Croix; Moore Consistory, Hamilton; Grand Union Lodge, IOOF; and Mocha Temple.
Leavine died July 27, 1958 at the age of 61 at the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital where he had been admitted several days previous following a heart seizure. He was survived by his wife, and two daughters, Dr. Desta F. Leavine, and Pauline Leavine. In 1965 a ceremonial mace was represented to the University of Waterloo in honour of Leavine by the family and his daughter Desta later created the memorial Dr. Stanley F. Leavine Scholarship that is presented each year to an upper year undergraduate student interested in pursuing a career in medicine or medical research student.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Scrapbook containing loose and pasted-in clippings, as well correspondence (letters and cards), speech notes, invitations, programs, photographs, and other ephemera predominantly relating to Dr. S.F. Leavine's election as Mayor of Kitchener in 1949. Included are notes of congratulations; coverage of the mayoralty race and Leavine's activities as mayor; his participation on various city boards and commissions, including the Service Welfare Committee; and a proclamation signed by Mayor Leavine declaring that "Brotherhood Week" is to be observed in Kitchener from February 19-26, 1950, along with a photo from a related event. Also included is a typed welcoming speech made by Mayor Leavine at an unspecified event.
One of the loose photographs depicts "The Walking Mayor", as he came to be known, pictured on his daily walk to work as Mayor of Kitchener. A second photograph appears to have been taken on election day in 1955 when Dr. S.F. Leavine ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Waterloo North constituency. The final photograph was taken at the official opening of the Carmicheal School Addition on March 7, 1950 which was attended by Mayor Leavine.
The loose clippings cover: Leavine's recommended changes to the Criminal Code as a means of bringing youth gang activity under control; a Waterloo North Conservative Progressive picnic at Waterloo Park in August, 1952 which was attended; and Leavine's nomination to contest the Waterloo North constituency in 1955.
Correspondence:
- Letter (Dec. 9, 1949) to Leavine from city clerk, C.G. Lips officially acknowledging Dr. S.F. Leavine's election to the position of Mayor, and asking him to subscribe the necessary Oath of Office prior to the Council's inaugural meeting on Jan. 3, 1950.
- Letter (Feb. 16, 1950) from H.E. McCallum, the Mayor of Hamilton, inviting Leavine to attend an evening event which will constitute part of the Third Canadian Sportsmen's Show in March, 1950. An invitation to the 43rd Annual Convention of the Canadian Gas Association in June 1950 is also contained in this file along with reservation forms for the event.
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Donated in 1998 by Dr. Desta Leavine.