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Lester B. Pearson

Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson PC OM CC OBE (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968.

"Mike Pearson" redirects here. For other uses, see Mike Pearson (disambiguation).

Lester B. Pearson

Pierre Trudeau

Louis St. Laurent

John Diefenbaker

W. L. Mackenzie King
Louis St. Laurent

Louis St. Laurent

John Diefenbaker

W. L. Mackenzie King

Riding dissolved

Lester Bowles Pearson

(1897-04-23)23 April 1897
Newtonbrook, Ontario, Canada

27 December 1972(1972-12-27) (aged 75)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

(m. 1925)

2, including Geoffrey

  • Diplomat
  • historian
  • soldier

Mike

1915–1918

Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of Toronto), Pearson pursued a career in the Department of External Affairs. He served as Canadian ambassador to the United States from 1944 to 1946 and secretary of state for external affairs from 1948 to 1957 under Liberal Prime Ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. He narrowly lost the bid to become secretary-general of the United Nations in 1953. However, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis, which earned him attention worldwide. After the Liberals' defeat in the 1957 federal election, Pearson easily won the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1958. Pearson suffered two consecutive defeats by Progressive Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1958 and 1962, only to successfully challenge him for a third time in the 1963 federal election. Pearson would win re-election in 1965.


Pearson ran two back-to-back minority governments during his tenure, and the Liberals not having a majority in the House of Commons meant he needed support from the opposition parties. With that support, Pearson launched progressive policies such as universal health care, the Canada Student Loan Program, and the Canada Pension Plan. Pearson also introduced the Order of Canada and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and oversaw the creation of the Maple Leaf flag that was implemented in 1965. His government unified the Canadian Armed Forces and kept Canada out of the Vietnam War. In 1967, Canada became the first country in the world to implement a points-based immigration system. After half a decade in power, Pearson resigned as prime minister and retired from politics.


With his government programs and policies, together with his groundbreaking work at the United Nations and in international diplomacy, which included his role in ending the Suez Crisis, Pearson is generally considered among the most influential Canadians of the 20th century and is ranked among the greatest Canadian prime ministers.[1][2]

Prime Minister (1963–1968)[edit]

Domestic policy and events[edit]

Pearson campaigned during the 1963 election promising "60 Days of Decision" and supported the Bomarc surface-to-air missile program. Pearson never had a majority in the House of Commons, but he brought in many of Canada's major updated social programs, including universal health care (though that credit should be shared with Tommy Douglas, who as premier of Saskatchewan had introduced the country's first medicare system), the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loans. Pearson instituted a new national flag, the Maple Leaf flag, after a national debate known as the Great Canadian flag debate. He also instituted the 40-hour work week, two weeks vacation time, and a new minimum wage for workers in federally-regulated areas.


In hopes of winning an outright majority, Pearson called an election for November 1965, three years before it was due. Ultimately, the Liberals were only able to pick up three more seats, leaving them two short of a majority. As in 1963, the Liberals were almost nonexistent in the Prairies, winning only one seat there.


Pearson also started a number of royal commissions, including the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. These suggested changes that helped create legal equality for women and brought official bilingualism into being. After Pearson's term in office, French was made an official language, and the Canadian government provided services in both English and French. Pearson himself had hoped that he would be the last unilingual Prime Minister of Canada and fluency in both English and French became an unofficial requirement for candidates for Prime Minister after Pearson left office.


In 1967, Pearson's government introduced a discrimination-free points-based system which encouraged immigration to Canada, making it the first country in the world to do so.


Pearson oversaw Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967 before retiring. The Canadian news agency, The Canadian Press, named him "Newsmaker of the Year" that year, citing his leadership during the centennial celebrations, which brought the Centennial Flame to Parliament Hill.

Elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the in 1957.[49]

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The named Pearson "Newsmaker of the Year" nine times, a record he held until his successor, Pierre Trudeau, surpassed it in 2000. He was also only one of two prime ministers to have received the honour both before and when prime minister (the other being Brian Mulroney).

Canadian Press

Pearson was inducted into the in 2000.[50]

Canadian Peace Hall of Fame

The , first awarded in 1979, is an award given out annually by the United Nations Association in Canada to recognize an individual Canadian's "contribution to international service".

Pearson Medal of Peace

A plaque, placed by the , is on the grounds of Newtonbrook United Church, the successor congregation to the one that owned the manse.[51][52]

Ontario Heritage Trust

In a survey by Canadian historians of the first 20 Prime Ministers through , Pearson ranked No. 6.[53]

Jean Chrétien

In a survey by Canadian historians of the Canadian prime ministers who served after World War II, Pearson was ranked first "by a landslide".

[1]

Pearson, Lester B. (1972). Mike: The Memoirs of the Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson. Vol. 1. University of Toronto Press.

Pearson, Lester B.; Munro, John A.; Inglis, Alexander I. (1973). Mike: The Memoirs of the Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson: 1948–1957. Vol. 2. University of Toronto Press.

online free

Mike: The Memoirs of the Rt. Hon. Lester B. Pearson: 1957–1968 vol 3

online free

Lester B. Pearson fonds at Library and Archives Canada


Pearson published one memoir in his lifetime. The other two were written after his death by ghostwriters and they lack the authenticity.[41][39]

List of prime ministers of Canada

Canada and the Vietnam War

Great Canadian Flag Debate

Landon Pearson

Canada and the United Nations

on Nobelprize.org including the Nobel Lecture* on 11 December 1957 The Four Faces of Peace

Lester B. Pearson

at the Library and Archives Canada

Biography

Lester B. Pearson – Parliament of Canada biography

at the CBC Digital Archives

Lester B. Pearson: From Peacemaker to Prime Minister

at The Canadian Encyclopedia

Lester Bowles Pearson

created by National Dream Productions in conjunction with The Historica Dominion Institute

An in-depth exploration of Pearson’s diplomacy during the Suez Crisis of 1956