Jules Leger
Jules Léger , PC , CC (born April 4, 1913 in Saint-Anicet , Québec , † November 22, 1980 in Ottawa , Ontario ) was Governor General of Canada from 1974 to 1979 .
childhood and education
Jules Léger was born in Saint-Anicet, Québec in 1913 and grew up in a practicing Catholic family. He was the younger brother of Paul-Émile Léger , later Archbishop of Montreal and cardinal . Léger first studied at the Collège de Valleyfield and later at the University of Montreal . After he had finished his studies there, he attended the Sorbonne in Paris , where he received his doctorate in 1938 .
Next life
On August 13, 1938, he married Gabrielle Carmel (1916–1998). The couple had two daughters. From 1938 to 1939 Léger was co-editor of Le Droit in Ottawa. He then taught history of diplomacy at the University of Ottawa from 1939 to 1942 . Léger had worked in the Foreign Ministry since 1940 and began a successful career as a diplomat . In 1953 he was appointed Canadian ambassador to Mexico . He later became Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1958 he was appointed ambassador and permanent representative to the North Atlantic Council and Canadian representative to the OECD in Paris. In 1962 Léger became ambassador to Italy and two years later to France . This was followed in 1973 by his appointment as ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg . In the same year Léger was appointed Governor General of Canada. The inauguration took place on January 14, 1974 in Ottawa. Six months later, Léger suffered a stroke while at the Université de Sherbrooke to receive an honorary doctorate. His wife played an important role in his recovery. She represented her husband at many events and took over some of his duties, so she read the speech from the throne with him . Her contribution to her husband's tenure was recognized by appearing with him on the official portrait of the Governor General. She is the only spouse of a governor general who has been granted this dignity.
By December 1974, Jules Léger had recovered enough to be able to fully resume his duties. On October 19, 1975, Léger and his wife received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa. Léger retired in 1979 and lived the rest of his life in Ottawa.
Web links
- Jules Léger ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
- Biography on the Governor General's page
predecessor | Office | successor |
---|---|---|
Charles Pierre Hébert | Canadian Ambassador to Mexico October 14, 1953–8. July 1954 |
Douglas Seaman Cole |
L. Dana Wilgress | Permanent Representative of Canada to the North Atlantic Council September 25, 1958–5. July 1962 |
George Ignatieff |
Léon Mayrand | Canadian Ambassador to Italy May 28, 1962–17. April 1964 |
Gordon Gale Crean |
Pierre Dupuy | Canadian Ambassador to France February 20, 1964–31. October 1968 |
Paul André Beaulieu |
James Coningsby Langley | Canadian Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg March 1, 1973–8. January 1974 |
Jean-Yves Grenon |
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Léger, Jules |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian diplomat, Governor General of Canada |
DATE OF BIRTH | April 4, 1913 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Saint-Anicet , Quebec |
DATE OF DEATH | November 22, 1980 |
Place of death | Ottawa , Ontario |