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W. Morley Seller, deputy
superintendent of insurance for Alberta, has made an exhaustive study of
this subject and is recognized as one of the able officials of the
provincial government. He was born in Prince Edward Island, in 1875, and
his father, Isaac Seller, was also a native of that section, his birth
occurring in 1839. He was there married in 1867 to Miss Mary McMillan
and his demise occurred in 1894, when he had reached the age of
fifty-five years. The mother survives and is now residing in Edmonton.
The paternal great-grandfather of the subject of this review was a
native of Devonshire, England, and the Seller family is one of the
oldest in England, while the maternal ancestors were Scotch Highlanders.
The public schools of
Prince Edward Island afforded W. Morley Seller his early educational
privileges, and having won a scholarship at the Prince of Wales College,
he spent two years as a student at that institution, completing his
studies in 1896. He then took up the profession of teaching, which he
followed until 1900 as an instructor in the schools of Prince Edward
Island, and afterwards engaged in merchandising at Hunter's River for a
time. In 1903 he came to western Canada and entered a homestead in the
province of Saskatchewan, proving up on
land, on which he
continued to reside until 1908, when he sold the property. Coming to
Alberta, he located at High River and again turned his attention to
mercantile pursuits, which he continued to follow at that place until
June, 1917. He then accepted the position of supervisor of the Alberta
Cooperative Credit Act and organized the present system of rural credits
in Alberta. in January, 1920, he was appointed deputy superintendent of
insurance and fire commissioner of Alberta and is now so serving. He is
a sagacious, farsighted business mail in handling public problems he
brings to bear a keen intellect and a comprehensive understanding of the
subjects with which he has to deal. At the recent convention of
provincial insurance superintendents, held at Vancouver, British
Columbia, Mr. Seller was elected president of the conference, of which
he was one of the principal speakers, delivering an address on "Mutual
Insurance and Legislative Regulations." He has also been connected with
the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, which he joined in 1900, remaining a
member of that organization for six months.
Mr. Seller was married in
Prince Edward Island, February 26, 1908, to Miss Sarah May MacLeod, a
daughter of George S. MacLeod, a retired merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Seller
have three children: Allison MacLeod, who was born August 28, 1909; Mary
Beatrice and Helen Margaret. In his political views Mr. Seller is a
Liberal and he is a member of the Methodist church. He is president of
the Alberta Civil Service Athletic Association, entering upon the duties
of that office in 1922, and he was also chairman of Branch No. 2 of that
organization. He is 1ikewse a member of the Edmonton Automobile and Good
Roads Association and of the Blue Goose, a social insurance order, while
fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
He is always loyal to any cause which he espouses and faithful to every
duty, and his record iii both a l)Ub1iC and private capacity is one
which will bear the light of close investigation and scrutiny. |
