Introduction
Geoffrey Arthur Holland Pearson, OC (December 24, 1927 – March 18, 2008) was a Canadian diplomat and author. He was the son of former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson and Maryon Pearson.
Biography
Born in Toronto, Pearson was educated at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, the University of Toronto, and the University of Oxford. Pearson joined the department of External Affairs in 1952 (now called Global Affairs Canada). He held diplomatic appointments at the Canadian embassies in Paris and Mexico City, and at the high commission in New Delhi. From 1980 to 1983, he served as Canada's ambassador to the Soviet Union. He was also Ambassador to Mongolia from 1980 to 1981.
In late 1983, Pearson was appointed as a special representative to then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau for arms control, and in 1984 he was seconded to the Canadian Institute of International Affairs. In January 1985 he was appointed as the first executive director of the Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security, where he served for six years. In 1996, his book Seize the Day was published, chronicling his father's (Lester B. Pearson) diplomatic legacy. Pearson was a past president of the United Nations Association in Canada. In 2000, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Pearson died in Ottawa, Ontario. He is survived by his wife, Senator Landon Pearson, and their five children (Michael, Hilary and Anne), including journalist Patricia Pearson.
Pearson was the second of three members of his family to serve in Canada's diplomatic service. His father was Secretary of State for External Affairs and his son Michael Pearson is a senior civil servant.
Published works
- Pearson, Geoffrey A.H. (1993). Seize the Day: Lester B. Pearson and Crisis Diplomacy. Carleton University Press. ISBN 978-0886292171.