Norman Robertson

For the American politician and attorney, see Norman M. Robertson. For the Canadian sailor, see Norm Robertson.

Norman Alexander Robertson
Norman Robertson and Mackenzie King, 1944
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
In office March 15, 1949 – May 31, 1952
Preceded by	Arnold Heeney
Succeeded by	Jack Pickersgill
Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office 1946–1949
Prime Minister	W.L. Mackenzie King Louis St. Laurent
Preceded by	Vincent Massey
Succeeded by	L. Dana Wilgress
In office 1952–1957
Prime Minister	Louis St. Laurent John Diefenbaker
Preceded by	L. Dana Wilgress
Succeeded by	George A. Drew
Personal details
Born	(1904-03-04)March 4, 1904 Vancouver, British Columbia
Died	July 16, 1968(1968-07-16) (aged 64) Ottawa, Ontario
Alma mater	University of British Columbia Balliol College, Oxford

Norman Alexander Robertson, CC (March 4, 1904 – July 16, 1968) was a Canadian diplomat and was one of Prime Minister Mackenzie King's advisers.

Norman Robertson and colleagues at the Paris Peace Conference, Palais du Luxembourg. (L.-r.:) Norman Robertson, Rt. Hon. W.L. Mackenzie King, Hon. Brooke Claxton, Arnold Heeney

Background and early life

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was educated at the University of British Columbia and was a Rhodes Scholar attending Balliol College, Oxford.

In 1929 he started with the Department of External Affairs.

Senior diplomatic appointments

In 1941, he became Under Secretary of State for External Affairs.

From 1946 to 1949 and 1952 to 1957, he was Canadian High Commissioner in London, during which time he participated at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as Standard Bearer, and from 1957 to 1958 he was Canadian Ambassador in Washington, D.C.

Honours; death

In 1967, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. Robertson is buried at Maclaren Cemetery in Wakefield, Quebec. Robertson is buried at the same cemetery as fellow diplomats and friends Hume Wrong and Lester B. Pearson.

References

• "Norman Alexander Robertson". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on April 8, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2005.

Further reading

• Granatstein, J. L. A man of influence: Norman A. Robertson and Canadian statecraft, 1929-68 (1981) scholarly biography; online

External links

• Norman Alexander Robertson at The Canadian Encyclopedia