Lester B. Pearson

Lester Pearson came up through External Affairs, serving as Canada's ambassador to the United States from 1944 to 1946 before entering politics in 1948 as Secretary of State for External Affairs under Mackenzie King and St. Laurent. He chaired the UN General Assembly in 1952, nearly became secretary-general in 1953 until the Soviets vetoed him, then proposed the UN Emergency Force for Suez in 1957 and took the Nobel for it. He won the Liberal leadership in 1958 and lost twice to John Diefenbaker before defeating him in 1963 and governing on two straight minority mandates through 1968. In five years he launched the Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Student Loan Program, universal health care, the Canada Labour Code, the Auto Pact with Washington, royal commissions on bilingualism and the status of women, the unification of the Armed Forces, the Maple Leaf flag after a bitter national debate, the world's first points-based immigration system, and the 1967 Centennial celebrations - while keeping Canada out of Vietnam. He resigned in 1968 and died four years later, ranked among the country's greatest prime ministers.