Early life

Pearson was born in Newtonbrook, Ontario, the son of Edwin Arthur Pearson, a Methodist minister and Anne Sarah Bowles. He went to the University of Toronto and Oxford University. Pearson was ambassador to the United States and the United Nations. He played for the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club while on a scholarship at Oxford University.

Political career

Pearson entered politics in 1948, as Minister of External Affairs in the Liberal government of Louis St. Laurent. He became leader of the Liberal Party in 1958. He lost two elections as leader, until winning a third to become Prime Minister in 1963. His government brought in social programs and new standards for workers. Pearson signed the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement, also called the Auto Pact. He retired in 1968. The next Prime Minister was Pierre Trudeau.

Death

Pearson died from liver cancer in Ottawa, Canada, aged 75.

References

  1. MacDonald, L. Ian. "The Best Prime Minister of the Last 50 Years — Pearson, by a landslide", Policy Options, June–July 2003. Accessed 3 April 2014.
  2. S. Azzi, N. Hillmer. "Ranking Canada's best and worst prime ministers",Maclean's, October 2016. Accessed 27 May 2017

Other websites

Media related to Lester B. Pearson at Wikimedia Commons