John Diefenbaker | |
|---|---|
 Diefenbaker in 1957 | |
| 13th Prime Minister of Canada | |
| In office June 21, 1957 – April 22, 1963 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governors General | |
| Preceded by | Louis St. Laurent |
| Succeeded by | Lester B. Pearson |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office April 22, 1963 – September 8, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Lester B. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | Michael Starr |
| In office December 14, 1956 – June 20, 1957 | |
| Preceded by | William Earl Rowe |
| Succeeded by | Louis St. Laurent |
| Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada | |
| In office December 14, 1956 – September 9, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | William Earl Rowe (interim) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Stanfield |
| Secretary of State for External Affairs | |
| In office June 21, 1957 – September 12, 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Lester B. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | Sidney Earle Smith |
| Member of Parliament for Prince Albert | |
| In office August 10, 1953 – August 16, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Helme |
| Succeeded by | Stan Hovdebo |
| Member of Parliament for Lake Centre | |
| In office March 26, 1940 – August 10, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | John Frederick Johnston |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John George Diefenbaker September 18, 1895 Neustadt, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 16, 1979 (aged 83) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Outside Diefenbaker Canada Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouses | |
| Alma mater | University of Saskatchewan (BA, MA, LLB) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Branch/service | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1917 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | 196th Battalion |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
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John George Diefenbaker PC CH QC FRSC FRSA (/ˈdiːfənbeɪkər/ DEE-fən-bay-kər; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was a Canadian politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Canada, from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative[a] party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an election victory, doing so three times, although only once with a majority of the seats in the House of Commons.
Diefenbaker was born in the small town of Neustadt in Southwestern Ontario. In 1903, his family migrated west to the portion of the North-West Territories that would soon become the province of Saskatchewan. He grew up in the province and was interested in politics from a young age. After service in World War I, Diefenbaker became a noted criminal defence lawyer. He contested elections through the 1920s and 1930s with little success until he was finally elected to the House of Commons in 1940.
Diefenbaker was repeatedly a candidate for the party leadership. He gained that position in 1956, on his third attempt. In 1957, he led the party to its first electoral victory in 27 years; a year later he called a snap election and spearheaded them to one of their greatest triumphs. Diefenbaker appointed the first female minister in Canadian history to his cabinet (Ellen Fairclough), as well as the first Indigenous member of the Senate (James Gladstone). During his six years as prime minister, his government obtained passage of the Canadian Bill of Rights and granted the vote to the First Nations and Inuit peoples. In 1962, Diefenbaker's government eliminated racial discrimination in immigration policy. In foreign policy, his stance against apartheid helped secure the departure of South Africa from the Commonwealth of Nations, but his indecision on whether to accept Bomarc nuclear missiles from the United States led to his government's downfall. Diefenbaker is also remembered for his role in the 1959 cancellation of the Avro Arrow project.
In the 1962 federal election, the Progressive Conservatives narrowly won a minority government before losing power altogether in 1963. Diefenbaker stayed on as party leader, becoming Opposition leader, but his second loss at the polls prompted opponents within the party to force him to a leadership convention in 1967. Diefenbaker stood for re-election as party leader at the last moment, but attracted only minimal support and withdrew. He remained in parliament until his death in 1979, two months after Joe Clark became the first Progressive Conservative prime minister since Diefenbaker. Diefenbaker ranks average in rankings of prime ministers of Canada.
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