People Who Have Made Us Think > Politics
Lester B. Pearson
Core Contribution
Lester B. Pearson was an educator, a war veteran, a diplomat, a politician and a purveyor of peace. "Mike" as he was affectionately known, strongly believed that the solution to war was to fight poverty in the world.
Pearson held the belief that the Canadian nation had a responsibility to uphold the value of peace in the world. Pearson lived this ideal when he fought in the First World War, spoke against the Vietnam War and occupied several diplomatic Posts, including Chairman of the NATO Council and President of the UN General Assembly. His most notable contribution was orchestrating the creation of the first United Nations Peace Keeping Force, leading to the resolution of the Suez Canal conflict, and setting in motion the practice of peacekeeping as a core UN activity. For this Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Prime Minister Pearson’s domestic legacy includes the creation of the Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Student Loans program, Universal Medicare and the establishment of a bilingual civil service. Many of these measures contributed to the improvement of Canadians’ quality of life and have become key national social institutions.
Biography
Lester Bowles Pearson began his public life as a diplomat and politician in 1928 as First Secretary in the Canadian Department of External Affairs. From 1935 to 1941 he served in the office of the High Commissioner for Canada in London and was posted in Washington in 1945 as Ambassador. In 1963, Pearson was elected Prime Minister of Canada and held office for five years. After retiring in 1968, he returned to his roots as an educator to become lecturer and subsequently, chancellor of Carleton University. A short four years later, Lester Bowles Pearson died of cancer.
Additional Information
Lester Bowles Pearson (1897-1972), Library and Archives Canada
"Lester B. Pearson: From Peacemaker to Prime Minister", CBC Archives
