Lester B. Pearson

Lester Bowles Pearson (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. He also served as leader of the Liberal party from 1958 to 1968 and as leader of the Official Opposition from 1958 to 1963.

Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of Toronto), Pearson pursued a career in the Department of External Affairs and served as the Canadian ambassador to the United States from 1944 to 1946. He entered politics in 1948 as Secretary of State for External Affairs, serving in that position until 1957 in the governments of William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. In addition, Pearson was the seventh president of the United Nations General Assembly from 1952 to 1953. He was a candidate to become secretary-general of the United Nations in 1953, but was vetoed by the Soviet Union. He later 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 were defeated in the 1957 federal election, Pearson 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 as prime minister, 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 the Canada Labour (Safety) Code, universal health care, the Canada Student Loan Program, and the Canada Pension Plan. He introduced royal commissions on bilingualism and biculturalism and the status of women, established the Order of Canada, and unified the Canadian Armed Forces. His government also oversaw the creation of the Maple Leaf flag in 1965 and the Canadian Centennial celebrations in 1967. In foreign policy, Pearson signed the Auto Pact with the United States and kept Canada out of the Vietnam War. Under his leadership, Canada became the first country in the world to implement a points-based immigration system. After a half-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 among the most influential Canadians of the 20th century and is ranked among the greatest Canadian prime ministers. Provided by Wikipedia