Geoffrey Pearson

Who was Geoffrey Pearson?

Geoffrey Arthur Holland Pearson, OC was a Canadian diplomat and author. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was the son of former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson and Maryon Pearson.

Born in Toronto, Pearson was educated at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, the University of Toronto, and the University of Oxford. Pearson joined the department of External Affairs in 1952. He held diplomatic appointments at the Canadian embassies in Paris and Mexico City, and at the high commission in New Delhi. From 1980 to 1983, he served as Canada's ambassador to the Soviet Union. He was also Ambassador to Mongolia from 1980 to 1981.

In late 1983, Pearson was appointed as a special representative to then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau for arms control, and in 1984 he was seconded to the Canadian Institute of International Affairs. In January 1985 he was appointed as the first executive director of the Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security, where he served for six years. In 1996, his book Seize the Day was published, chronicling his father's diplomatic legacy. Pearson was a past president of the United Nations Association in Canada. In 2000, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.