Born: April 23, 1897
Died: December 27, 1972 Place of Birth: Newton Brook, Ontario
Major Notes:
Lester Pearson is considered by many as the best Prime Minister ever in Canada.
His mother and father gave him a balanced background on the world of politics.
Pearson entered the University of Toronto in 1913 but left shortly afterward as World War II broke out.
During this war, Pearson first served as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Medical Corps and then trained as a pilot serving as a Flying Officer
in the Royal Flying Corps.
His flying instructor gave Lester Pearson the nickname "Mike" which stayed with him the rest of his life.
Through injuries following a plane crash and, later, being hit by a bus in a blackout, Pearson was sent home.
He continued his services effort as a training instructor and taking university courses until he received his BA degree in 1919.
Pearson furthered his education at Oxford University and became a professor at the University of Toronto.
In 1928, Lester Pearson was appointed First Secretary at the Foreign Affairs department in Ottawa.
His personality and background led Pearson to become an excellent diplomat earning respect in many countries.
He served in various diplomatic positions throughout his life and was the First Secretary at the Canadian High Commission in Britain when
World War II broke out.
Pearson actively participated in the formation of the United Nations and at one point become the President of the United Nations Assembly.
In 1958, he turned to federal politics and served as the Leader of the Opposition and then Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister, he passed a number of new laws leading to the Canadian Pension Plan, a new Canadian flag, and the
Canadian Medicare Act.
Lester Pearson's major award was the Nobel Peace Prize presented to him in 1957 largely for his work in resolving the
Suez Canal crises the previous year.
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