Browse "Diplomats & Ambassadors"

A political activist, he published the Farmers' Sun, renamed the New Commonwealth (1932-34); was coauthor of Social Planning for Canada, published by the LEAGUE FOR SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION (1935); and was chairman of the Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (1934-36).

Louis-Roch-Hector Fabre, journalist, newspaper publisher, senator and diplomat (born 9 August 1834 in Montreal, Lower Canada; died 2 September 1910 in Paris, France). Hector Fabre’s appointment to serve as the Agent General of Quebec in Paris in winter 1882 marked one of the first milestones in the history of Quebec representation abroad. Fabre, who also represented the government of Canada starting in July 1882, helped to establish diplomatic and economic relations with France and other European countries and also marked the beginning of permanent Canadian representation abroad.

Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside, academic, public servant, diplomat (b at Toronto 7 July 1898; d 27 Sept 1992). Only 7 months after joining the Dept. of External Affairs in September 1928, Keenleyside was posted to Tokyo 1929-36, where he assisted in opening Canada's first legation in Japan.

Humphrey Hume Wrong, diplomat (b at Toronto 10 Sept 1894; d at Ottawa 24 Jan 1954). Grandson of Edward BLAKE and son of historian George WRONG, Hume Wrong was raised in privileged circumstances.

Jack Hamilton (Jake) Warren, OC, public servant, diplomat, business executive (born 10 April 1921 in Howard Township, ON; died in April 2008 in Ottawa, ON).

James Karl Bartleman, OC, OOnt, diplomat, author, lieutenant governor of Ontario 2002–07 (born 24 December 1939 in Orillia, ON). James K. Bartleman spent nearly 40 years as a career diplomat, serving as high commissioner and ambassador to many countries, including South Africa, Cuba and Israel, and as a foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. A member of the Mnjikaning First Nation, he became Ontario’s first Indigenous lieutenant-governor in 2002. Bartleman’s tenure as lieutenant-governor was highlighted by his advocacy for literacy and education in Indigenous communities and his efforts to end the stigma around mental illness.

Jean Désy, diplomat (b at Montréal 8 Jan 1893; d at Paris, France 19 Dec 1960). Educated at Laval and the Sorbonne, the highly intelligent Désy was called to the Québec Bar in 1915 and taught history and law at Université de Montréal, 1919-25.

A.J.G.D. (John) de Chastelain, twice Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, Ambassador to the US, head of the International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland (b on 30 July 1937 at Bucharest, Romania).

John Everett Robbins, educator, diplomat (b at Hampton, Ont 9 Oct 1903; d at Regina 7 Mar 1995). He taught school in Saskatchewan for 3 years before entering U of Man. He later gained a PhD from U of Ottawa.

John Thomas Peters Humphrey, OC, lawyer, diplomat, scholar (born 30 April 1905 in Hampton, NB; died 14 Mar 1995 in Montreal, QC). John Humphrey was the director of the United Nations Human Rights Division from 1946 to 1966. He was instrumental in drafting the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. He also taught law and briefly served as dean at McGill University. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1974 and received the United Nations Prize for human rights advocacy in 1988.

John Benjamin Clark Watkins, diplomat, scholar (born 3 December 1902 in Norval (now Halton Hills), ON; died 12 October 1964 in Montreal, QC). John Watkins was Canadian ambassador to the USSR from 1954 to 1956. In 1955, Watkins organized a historic meeting between Canadian External Affairs Minister Lester B. Pearson and Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union.

John Wendell Holmes, OC, diplomat, scholar, civil servant (born 18 June 1910 in London, ON; died 13 August 1988 in London, ON).