Lester Bowles Pearson was a Canadian soldier, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in
1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. He
was the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 22 April 1963 to 20 April 1968.
During Pearson's time as Prime Minister, his Liberal minority governments introduced
universal health care, student loans, the Canada Pension Plan, the Order of Canada, and the new
Flag of Canada. Pearson also convened the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and
Biculturalism, and he struggled to keep Canada out of the Vietnam War.
Pearson was born in Newtonbrook in the township of York, Ontario, the son of Annie
Sarah and Edwin Arthur Pearson, a Methodist minister. He was the brother …show more content…
The family lived in the Methodist manse at
the corner of Spruce St. and Catherine St. The home still exists but is in private hands. The
Methodist church in downtown Aurora became the United Church of Canada. The church was
demolished following a devastating fire in 2014. Rev. Pearson was a member of the Aurora
Rugby team where young Mike apparently got his inspiration.
Pearson graduated from Hamilton Collegiate Institute in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1913 at
the age of 16. Later that same year, he entered Victoria College at the University of Toronto,
When World War I broke out in 1914, Pearson volunteered for service as a medical
orderly with the University of Toronto Hospital Unit. In 1915, he entered overseas service with
the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a stretcher bearer with the rank of private, and was later
commissioned as a lieutenant. During this period of service he spent two years in Egypt and in
Greece. He also spent time in the Serbian Army as a corporal and a medical orderly. In 1917,
Pearson transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, since the Royal Canadian Air Force did not exist
at that time, where he served as a flying officer until being sent home with injuries from …show more content…
Thereafter, Pearson would use the name "Lester" on official documents and in public
life, but was always addressed as "Mike" by friends and family.
After the war, he returned to school, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Toronto in 1919. He was able to complete his degree after one more term, under a
ruling in force at the time, since he had served in the military during the war. He then spent a
year working in Hamilton and Chicago, in the meat-packing industry, which he did not enjoy.
Upon receiving a scholarship from the Massey Foundation, he studied for two years at St John's
College at the University of Oxford, where he received a B.A. degree with Second-Class honours
in modern history in 1923, and the M.A. in 1925. After Oxford, he returned to Canada and taught
history at the University of Toronto, where he also coached the Varsity Blues Canadian football
team, and the Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team. In 1925, he married Maryon Moody, who
was one of his students at the University of Toronto. Together, they had one daughter,
1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. He
was the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from 22 April 1963 to 20 April 1968.
During Pearson's time as Prime Minister, his Liberal minority governments introduced
universal health care, student loans, the Canada Pension Plan, the Order of Canada, and the new
Flag of Canada. Pearson also convened the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and
Biculturalism, and he struggled to keep Canada out of the Vietnam War.
Pearson was born in Newtonbrook in the township of York, Ontario, the son of Annie
Sarah and Edwin Arthur Pearson, a Methodist minister. He was the brother …show more content…
The family lived in the Methodist manse at
the corner of Spruce St. and Catherine St. The home still exists but is in private hands. The
Methodist church in downtown Aurora became the United Church of Canada. The church was
demolished following a devastating fire in 2014. Rev. Pearson was a member of the Aurora
Rugby team where young Mike apparently got his inspiration.
Pearson graduated from Hamilton Collegiate Institute in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1913 at
the age of 16. Later that same year, he entered Victoria College at the University of Toronto,
When World War I broke out in 1914, Pearson volunteered for service as a medical
orderly with the University of Toronto Hospital Unit. In 1915, he entered overseas service with
the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a stretcher bearer with the rank of private, and was later
commissioned as a lieutenant. During this period of service he spent two years in Egypt and in
Greece. He also spent time in the Serbian Army as a corporal and a medical orderly. In 1917,
Pearson transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, since the Royal Canadian Air Force did not exist
at that time, where he served as a flying officer until being sent home with injuries from …show more content…
Thereafter, Pearson would use the name "Lester" on official documents and in public
life, but was always addressed as "Mike" by friends and family.
After the war, he returned to school, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Toronto in 1919. He was able to complete his degree after one more term, under a
ruling in force at the time, since he had served in the military during the war. He then spent a
year working in Hamilton and Chicago, in the meat-packing industry, which he did not enjoy.
Upon receiving a scholarship from the Massey Foundation, he studied for two years at St John's
College at the University of Oxford, where he received a B.A. degree with Second-Class honours
in modern history in 1923, and the M.A. in 1925. After Oxford, he returned to Canada and taught
history at the University of Toronto, where he also coached the Varsity Blues Canadian football
team, and the Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team. In 1925, he married Maryon Moody, who
was one of his students at the University of Toronto. Together, they had one daughter,