[Home]John George Diefenbaker

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The Right Honourable (Lt.) John George Diefenbaker (18 September 1895 - 16 August 1979) was born in Neustadt, Ontario, Canada.

Diefenbaker received a B.A. in 1915, an M.A. in Political Science and Economics in 1916 and his LL.B. in 1919 from the [University of Saskatchewan]?.

He married Edna Brower (1901-1951) in 1929. He re-married to Olive Palmer (1902-1976) in 1953 who had a daughter from a previous marriage.

Diefenbaker served a brief stint in the army, acquiring the rank of Lieutenant? in the 105th Saskatoon Fusiliers. He was called to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1919 and became a criminal lawyer. He worked in provincial politics as the leader of the Saskatchewan Conservative party from 1936-1938.

He led the national [Progressive Conservative]? party from 1956-1967 and Prime Minister from 21 June 1957 - 22 April 1963. He is well known for not getting along with John F. Kennedy, who thought Diefenbaker "boring". Diefenbaker's opinions on JFK were less refined, his having being quoted as calling Kennedy "a boastful son of a bitch".

Diefenbaker made one of the most controversial decisions of the last century in Canada in 1959 when his government cancelled the development and manufacture of the [Avro Arrow]? Mach 2 supersonic [jet fighter]? created by A.V. Roe Canada (AVRO?), in Malton?, Ontario, just west of Toronto. Instead, the government decided to deploy the American Bomarc? missile system which theoretically would help defend Canada in the event of a Russian nuclear bomber attack from the north. (The Bomarc missile program became obsolete prior to its installation in the U.S.)

Diefenbaker died in Ottawa, Ontario and is buried beside the Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon?, Saskatchewan.


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Last edited October 29, 2001 11:04 am by Coasting (diff)
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