Editing Nathan Eldon Tanner (section)

==Political and business career==
Tanner was drafted to run for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the first time in the [[1935 Alberta general election|1935 general election]]. He ran as a [[Social Credit Party of Alberta|Social Credit]] candidate in the electoral district of Cardston and defeated the incumbent [[United Farmers of Alberta|United Farmers]] MLA [[George Stringam]].<ref name="1935 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1935&Constit=Cardston| title=Cardston Official Results 1935 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

After the election and despite his complete lack of parliamentary experience, Tanner was chosen to be fifth-ever Speaker of the Alberta Legislature when the first session of the [[8th Alberta Legislative Assembly]] began. He served in that role until January 5, 1937, when Premier [[William Aberhart]] appointed Tanner the Minister of Lands and Mines.<ref name="speaker">{{cite hansard |title=Vignettes from the Assembly's History |url=https://search.assembly.ab.ca/isysquery/f5ec0113-1b1e-43db-8ab8-7fff29334ee7/3/doc/20060516_1330_01_han.pdf |house=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |page=1593 |date=May 16, 2006 |speaker=Shariff, Shiraz |speaker-link=Shiraz Shariff |position=Acting [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701212307/https://search.assembly.ab.ca/isysquery/f5ec0113-1b1e-43db-8ab8-7fff29334ee7/3/doc/20060516_1330_01_han.pdf |archive-date=2023-07-01 |url-status=live |quote=Nathan Eldon Tanner, the Member for Cardston and representing the Social Credit Party, became the fifth Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1936. He presided over only 46 sitting days and 333 calendar days, the shortest tenure of any Speaker, before being appointed as minister of lands and mines. He is thought to be the first member of the Mormon faith to serve as Speaker in the British Commonwealth.}}</ref> His time in this capacity and as legislator spanned 16 years.<ref name=":0" />

In the [[1940 Alberta general election|1940 general election]], Tanner defeated the independent candidate S.H. Nelson in a two-way race.<ref name="1940 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1940&Constit=Cardston| title=Cardston Official Results 1940 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

In the [[1944 Alberta general election|1944 general election]], Tanner won a three-way race.<ref name="1944 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1944&Constit=Cardston| title=Cardston Official Results 1944 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

In the [[1948 Alberta general election]], Tanner easily won a two-way race over the [[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]] candidate Briant Stringam to hold his seat.<ref name="1948 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1948&Constit=Cardston| title=Cardston Official Results 1948 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

In 1949, [[Ernest Manning]] changed Tanner's ministerial portfolio from Lands and Mines to Lands and Forests. Tanner was also appointed Minister of Mines and Minerals and held both portfolios until his retirement from the Legislature at its dissolution in 1952.

In 1952 Tanner left politics and became president of Merrill Petroleums in Calgary. In 1954 Manning and federal [[Minister of Trade and Industry]] [[C. D. Howe]] asked him to become president of [[TransCanada PipeLines Limited]]. During Tanner's contract of five years, the [[TransCanada pipeline]] was built from Alberta to Montreal.{{r|LDSbio}}