Lester Bowles Pearson (1897 - 1972)

Born 23 Apr 1897 in Newton Brook, Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Maryon Elspeth (Moody) Pearson — married 22 Aug 1925 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Died 27 Dec 1972 at age 75 in Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Dave Rutherford [send private message] and Canada Project WikiTree [send private message]

Lester Pearson is managed by the Canada Project. Join: Canada Project Discuss: canada

Preceded by
John Diefenbaker

18th Prime Minister of Canada
22 April 1963 – 20 April 1968

Succeeded by
Pierre Trudeau

Biography

Lester Pearson is Notable.

Lester Bowles Pearson was born at Newtonbrook, Ontario, on April 23rd 1897, the son of Edwin Arthur Pearson and Annie Bowles. He was named after his maternal grandparents, Jane Lester and Thomas Bowles. His roots were largely Irish and Methodist, the only exception being his paternal grandmother who came from New England Quaker stock. Both his father and paternal grandfather were Methodist ministers, as were three of his mother's first cousins.

He was an excellent student with a love of athletics and sports that he would maintain throughout his life. He attended Victoria College, where his mother's cousin Rev. RP Bowles served as Chancellor.
While at university during the First World War, Lester enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps and served overseas until an unfortunate accident with a bus during a London blackout ended his military career. One enduring consequence of his military experience was the nickname "Mike", which he retained for the rest of his life.

After the war, he completed his BA and briefly tried his hand in business before settling in teaching history at University of Toronto. This was where he met his future wife, who was in one of his classes. He married Maryon Moody on August 22 1925 in Winnipeg, Manitoba in a double wedding ceremony that included Maryon's sister Grace and her groom.

In the 1931 census Lester (age 34), Asst Servant, was the married head of household at 25 20 Russell, St. George Ward, Canada, Ontario, Canada.^[1]

Lester Pearson became a Canadian diplomat; in 1952 he was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly; in Dec 1957 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for helping to end the Suez crisis of 1956, by establishing the first United Nations peacekeeping mission.

On 22 April 1963 he became Prime Minister of Canada and was Prime Minister during Canada's centennial year, 1967. His government was responsible for the introduction of the Canada Pension Plan and universal health care, among other accomplishments. He served until 20 April 1968, when he was succeeded by Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Lester Pearson died on 27 December 1972 at Ottawa.

Sources

1. ↑ 1931 Census: "1931 Census of Canada"
   Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27285; Census Place: Ottawa (City of), Ontario, Canada; Page Number: 3
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62640 #1733639 (accessed 28 November 2023)
   Lester Pearson (34), married, Asst Servant, head of household at 25 20 Russell, St. George Ward, Canada, Ontario, Canada. Born in Ontario.

• John English, “PEARSON, LESTER BOWLES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 20, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed November 1, 2013, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pearson_lester_bowles_20E.html.

• George Bowles Family Tree, by Tom Laporte.

• Nobelprize.org entry for Lester Bowles Pearson.

• Nobel Prize laureate Lester Pearson on Front Page Challenge; CBC Digital Archives; December 20, 1960.

• Wikipedia: Lester B. Pearson

• Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913, York, 1897, pg. 813 of 1524.

• "Canada Census, 1901," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHP9-X7L : 27 April 2017), Lester Pearson in household of Annie A. Pearson, York (north/nord), Ontario, Canada; citing p. 9, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.

• "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9T-8LWH : 16 July 2016), Lester Pearson in entry for Edwin A Pearson, 1911; citing Census, Hamilton East Sub-Districts 1-18, Ontario, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,700.

• Manitoba, Marriage Index, 1879-1931.

• Find A Grave Memorial #2559.

• Wikipedia:Children of the Prime Ministers of Canada

• "Faded Genes: A Chronicle of the people of the Methodist Church in Canada" http://krassoc.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/rt-hon-lester-bowles-pearson-methodist-member-prime-minister-of-canada/

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rick Heiser for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Rick and others.