Lester B. Pearson, held by
his father, Edwin Arthur Pearson.

Lester B. Pearson was born on April 23rd, 1897 in Newtonbrook Ontario. His father was Edwin Arthur Pearson, and his mother was Anne Sarah Pearson. He had two brothers named Maraduck and Vaughan. Since his fathers work required a lot of moving, Lester and his brothers were schooled in an abundance of small Ontario Towns.

In 1913, at sixteen years of age, Lester attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto.

Lester B. Pearson.
The Royal Flying Corps

In the middle of his studies at University in 1915, Lester volunteered to serve for two years in a military hospital in Salonika, since he was too young to enlist as a soldier in WW1 in 1914. After his two years, he went to The Royal Flying Corps (RAF). During his first flight, he survived a plane crash, and then was hit by a bus in London during a blackout. Since these events, Lester was transfered home in 1918.

Lester continued his studies at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1919. He went on to work in Chicago, and a year later was offered a scholarship at Oxford University. During his education at Oxford, he achieved a bachelors degree in History.

In 1925, Lester B. Pearson went home to teach History at the University of Toronto. While teaching, he fell in love with a women name, Maryon Elspeth Moody. They married in 1925, and had two children, a son and a daughter.

Lester stayed teaching history until 1928, until he received an invitation to join the Canadian Department of External Affairs. Soon after he became, first secretary in the Canadian Department of External Affairs.


During this position in the Canadian Department of External Affairs from 1928 - 1935 he participated in,

• March 13 to April 12, 1930 - Hague Conference on Codification of International Law.

• January 21 to April 22, 1930 - The Second London Naval Conference. 

• 1932 to 1934 - Geneva World Disarmament Conference. 

• December 1935 - The Third London Naval Conference. 

• Remainder of 1935 - Sessions of the League of Nations.

Lester B. Pearson advanced quickly in Politics.

In 1935 - 1941, served in the office of the High Commissioner for Canada in London.

In May 1941, appointed assistant undersecretary of state for External Affairs at Ottawa.

In June 1942, named minister-counselor at the Canadian Legation in Washington.

During his stay in Washington, Lester participated in:

• 1943 - The Establishment of the United Nations relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRPA). 
• 1943 to 1945 - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• In July 1944, he was promoted to the rank of minister plenipotentiary. 
• August 21, 1944 to October 7, 1944 - Dumbarton Oaks Conference.
• April 25 to June 26, 1945 - San Francisco Conference on the establishment of the United Nations.
• January 1945, he was promoted to be the Canadian Ambassador.

Lester B. Pearson, took over the post of undersecretary of state for External Affairs in the fall of 1946, and two years later in 1948, became the new Secretary of External Affairs, because the old Secretary of External Affairs, Louis St. Laurent became Canada's 13th prime minister of the liberal government.

Lester B. Pearson held the position for nine years and during this time he was included in,

• May 15th, 1947 - Chairman of the General Assembly's Special Committee on Palestine. 
• Drafted the speech for Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent to propose for NATO.
• April 4th, 1949 - Signed NATO.
• Headed the Canadian Delegation of NATO until 1957, and became chairman of the NATO council in 1951 to 1952. 

• July 26, 1956 - The Suez Crisis.

The Suez Canal Crisis.

• Egypt's President Abdul Nasser has taken control of the Suez Canal, which is a large shipping route between the Middle East and Europe. Before the takeover of Egypt, this canal was run by French and Britain, and because of this takeover, the two nations were extremely angry with Egypt. French and Britain together secretly teamed up with Israel to regain control of the canal by attacking Egypt.
• On the brink of war, Lester B. Pearson, proposes a solution to the United Nations.  He believed that, "a truly international peace and police force...large enough to keep these borders at peace while a political settlement is being worked out." was needed. This peacekeeping force would become active to help bring order for international peace and security.

• Lester B. Pearson received the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for his success in establishing the United Nations international police force to resolve the Suez Crisis in 1956.

In 1957, the Liberal Government led by Louis St. Laurent was defeated in the elections, and replaced by John Deifenbaker of the Conservative Party.

Six years later, The Conservative Government led by John Deifenbaker lost the votes, and the Liberal Party, lead by Lester B. Pearson was voted into office. Lester B. Pearson then became Canada's 14th Prime Minister on April 22nd, 1963.

During his time in office he achieved the following,

• Social Programs (Universal Health Care, the Canadian Pension Plan, Canada Student Loans).
• New Immigration Act.
• Funds for rural economic development.
• The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. This led to the foundation of a bilingual civil service.
• 1965 - New National Flag (Great Flag Debate).

"The Canadian flag which, while bringing together but rising above the landmarks and milestones of the past, will say proudly to the world and to the future: "I stand for Canada"".

In 1968, at the age of seventy-one, Lester B. Pearson announced his retirement from Politics. Years later, Lester B. Pearson passed away on December 27th, 1972 in Ottawa.

"I have done it by hard work and long hours, by making it evident that i was available for whatever was to be done; by welcoming every opportunity for new and more responsible duties; and by accumulating all the experience possible in all the varied aspects of my profession."

Lester B. Pearson