Maurice Arthur Pope

Who was Maurice Arthur Pope?

Maurice Arthur Pope, CB MC was a Canadian civil engineer, army officer and diplomat.

Born in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, the son of Sir Joseph Pope, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's principal secretary, and grandson of Sir Henri-Thomas Taschereau and William Henry Pope, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from McGill University in 1911. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as a construction engineer until joining the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1915. He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France. After the war, he remained in the Canadian Army. During World War II, he was Brigadier General of the Canadian Military headquarters in London, Vice-Chief of the general staff in Ottawa, Chairman of the Canadian Joint Staff Mission in Washington, head of the Censorship Branch and military staff officer to Prime Minister Mackenzie King. From 1945 to 1950, he was Head of the Canadian Military Mission in Berlin. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant-General.

From 1950 to 1953, he was the Canadian Ambassador to Belgium. From 1953 to 1956, he was the Canadian Ambassador to Spain. He retired in 1956 and lived in Ottawa.