History : Dr. Arthur Moxon, K.C (1881-1963)

Early Years

Dr. Arthur Moxon was born in Truro, Nova Scotia in 1881. After graduating from Colchester Academy, he registered at Dalhousie University in the fall of 1903. Dr. Moxon received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dalhousie in 1906 in Classics and finished with High Honours. He proceeded to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence, and Bachelor of Common Law degrees.

"Both Moxon and my father were brought here to start the law school... Murray had made two or three trips to Harvard around 1915 lining up professors and he lined up a fellow by the name of C.J. McKenzie who became the Dean of Engineering, Thorvaldson, W.P. Thompson and my father. My father was a year or two behind these other people, he was a year or two younger and they came in 1912 or 1913 and he came out in 1915... Dr. Murray told me he wanted to get an Oxford man and a Harvard man to start the law school here so that's why he got hold of these two fellows."

Clarence recalled that when these professors got to Saskatoon "Murray for some reason didn't want to start the law school right away, but he didn't want to let these fellows go either." Wilfred (Bill) was set up as a teacher of Agricultural Economics. However, in order to keep Estey happy, Murray got him a job downtown. Clarence's father liked practice and remained downtown although he did return to the University as a sessional lecturer.

Practising Years

Mr. Hall recalls that the firm of Estey and Moxon was one of the most prominent firms in Saskatoon at the time. A certain degree of that success can be attributed to Dr. Moxon. Clarence Estey cited as one of Mr. Moxon's keys to success his incredible memory. He tells the story of the time a salesperson came into the office to sell Dr. Moxon a memory course.

"Somehow or other this guy got to Moxon's door before a secretary or receptionist stopped him and Moxon used to have a habit of writing and never looking up to see who was coming and going out. This fella stands at the door. Moxon says, "Yes". The sales person, "I'm here to sell you a memory course". Quick as a flash Moxon replied, 'It's not the things that I forget that worry me!'".

Clarence Estey recalled along with Emmett Hall, Mr. Moxon had a very large counsel practice. Most of it consisted of students seeking advice for which Mr. Moxon never charged. When students came to Mr. Moxon asking his advice, his suggestion always consisted of taking some sort of action without delaying too much to worry over it.

In one case a district court judge, a former student of Moxon's, called on him for advice concerning a case which he was having difficulty in deciding. Mr. Moxon's advice was "Well you've heard the case. Just go back and write what you think is right and let the Court of Appeal fix you up if you're wrong". But, he says, "Get it done or you're never going to get anywhere".

Mr. Justice Clarence Estey was privy to many of the discussions between Mr. Moxon and people coming into the office. In his words, "you could hear him all over the place when he talked to people. He didn't need a telephone - shoot, just open the window".

Clarence recalled as part of his counsel work Mr. Moxon advising his former student Peter Makaroff regarding the Veregin case, but suggests there may be no record of it. Apparently Mr. Moxon did not like to keep records. That included financial records. Clarence said, if not for Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Moxon might not have ended up as affluent as he eventually became.

Mr. Moxon once again came to the aid of his former student Mr. Makaroff when he spoke on his behalf regarding a citing for contempt. Clarence did not recall all the details of the case but recalls prior to the trial, a phone call that Mr. Moxon received from Peter Makaroff. Mr. Makaroff asked Mr. Moxon if he should robe for the occasion. "Moxon who was given to swearing and speaking very loud on the telephone said, "Jesus Christ no, you are the accused"".

Beyond the Practice of Law

Arthur Moxon served for twelve years as a bencher of the Saskatchewan Law Society, an organization of which he was president in 1945. He was also a member of the Saskatchewan and Canadian Bar Associations.

As well as the practice of law, Dr. Moxon was a director of the Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance Company of Saskatoon and chairman of the Saskatoon Advisory Board of The Toronto General Trusts Corporation.

Dr. Moxon's career never went past the practice of law and into the realm of politics as so many of his contemporaries did in those years. Clarence Estey said the rumour of the day was that the then Prime Minister R.B. Bennett had offered Moxon two or three Judgeships but Moxon turned them all down.

When asked of the reasons for this Clarence Estey responded:

Well I think some, a few of the busy bodies would say. . .Moxon roomed at a house here operated by Mrs. Boughner. They lived under the same roof but it was always a boarding house for years and years and then Moxon finally married her. She was separated from her husband who was a railway engineer. They were married shortly after her husband died and of course the busy bodies said that he would not leave Mrs. Boughner.

Emmett Hall recalls in those days, because of the times, Mr. Moxon would be invited to social affairs, but Mrs. Boughner would not. "What a bunch of horse's manure. For instance, if you had a party at your house you'd invite Moxon and not his so called wife". Apparently, Mr. Hall visited at Mr. Moxon's quite a few times. He comments that Mrs. Boughner was a very nice lady.

Dr. Moxon's politics were Conservative and he was a member of St. John's Anglican Church. In 1953 at the time of his retirement from the Board of Governors, Dr. Moxon received an Honorary Doctorate of civil law from the University of Saskatchewan.

In 1953, the University of Toronto published a collection of essays written in recognition of Dr. Moxon's contribution to the law. (Legal Essays in Honour of Arthur Moxon, University of Toronto Press, 1953, J.A. Corry, F.C. Cronkite, F.F. Whitmore, editors).

In 1961 Dr. Moxon was honoured by the College of Law Alumni Association who established a perpetual scholarship for postgraduate study in honour of the man who had been described as the most beloved member of the Saskatchewan Law Society. Also in this year Dr. Moxon was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Queen's University.

At the time of his death, Arthur Moxon was the University's solicitor. On the day following his death, two minutes of silence were observed in Saskatoon court rooms. Mr. Moxon died in June of 1963.