Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside

Who was Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside?

Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside, CC was a Canadian university professor, diplomat, and civil servant. He was the Canadian ambassador to Mexico from 1944 to 1947, and Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from January 14, 1947 to September 15, 1950.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ellis William and Margaret Keenleyside, he moved with his family to British Columbia when he was a few months old. After serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 1920. He married Katherine Pillsbury in 1924. He received a Master of Arts degree in 1921 and Ph.D. in 1923 from Clark University. He taught history at Clark University, Penn State University, Brown University and Syracuse University. He returned to the University of British Columbia in 1927, but left to work at Macmillan publishers, before joining the Department of External Affairs at the same time as Lester B. Pearson.

In 1929, he was posted to Japan, to open the new Canadian embassy there. He returned to Canada in 1936, and prepared the 1939 royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1941, he was appointed Assistant Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs. From 1944 to 1947, he was the Canadian ambassador to Mexico. He was Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 1947 to 1950. From 1947 to 1949, he was the deputy minister of mines and resources. From 1950 to 1958, he was the director general of the United Nations' Technical Assistance Administration period in which he had been suspected of protecting Soviet agents. From 1959 to 1962, he was the chairman of the British Columbia Power Commission and co-chairman at the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority from 1962 to 1969. He retired in 1969.