Wilbert Ross Thatcher, premier of Saskatchewan (born on May 24, 1917, at Neville, Sask.; died on July 23, 1971, at Regina, Sask.). Ross Thatcher was educated in Saskatchewan and at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., then went into business. He entered politics as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and was elected to the federal House of Commons in 1945, 1949, and 1953. He left the CCF in 1955 and ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal in 1957 and 1958. In 1959 he switched to provincial politics, and was elected leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal party.

Thatcher won the provincial election in 1964 and became premier. He was strongly critical of the socialist policies of the provincial CCF government, especially the way in which the crown corporations were managed. As premier he spoke strongly for free enterprise, but followed a moderate program. He quarrelled with the federal Liberal party, which was more interested in social programs than he was. In the provincial election of 1971, he was defeated by the New Democratic Party, and he died a month later.