Lester B. Pearson Athlete, scholar and statesman
On my visit to Wakefield, Quebec, I brought along a lacrosse stick and baseball glove to visit the beautiful and quiet McLaren Cemetery, where former Prime Minister of Canada and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lester B. Pearson rests on a peaceful hillside overlooking the Gatineau Hills.
But on this visit, my thoughts were less about Pearson the statesman and more about his athleticism. Lester was widely regarded as one of Canada’s most athletic prime ministers.
Long before he became one of Canada’s most respected political figures, Lester Bowles Pearson was an outstanding athlete. Born in Newtonbrook now part of Toronto, young Lester, son of a Methodist minister, developed a passion for sport at an early age. He played hockey with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and continued both his studies and athletic pursuits at Oxford University.
His hockey career even took him overseas, where from 1921-1923 played for Oxford’s hockey team touring Switzerland, France, and Germany.
Oxford Men’s Blue team crest.
What surprised me most was learning about his baseball career. Pearson played semi-professional baseball as an infielder for the Guelph Maple Leafs of the Ontario Intercounty Baseball League, playing alongside his brother Vaughan. His athletic abilities extended to lacrosse as well, and he earned an Oxford Blues distinction in the sport during his university years.
Pearson later returned to the University of Toronto, where he coached the Varsity Blues football, hockey, and lacrosse teams. Under his leadership, the hockey and lacrosse teams captured championships.
Later in life, the Nobel Peace Prize winner served as an honorary board member with the Montreal Expos. After his death, the Pearson Cup, named in his honour, was presented to the winner of an annual exhibition game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos from 1978 to 1986.
The 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Lester Bowles (Mike) Pearson died in Ottawa, Ontario on December 27, 1972. He was 75.
1897-1972
See related site of former Prime Ministers of Canada.
