A Surprised Woman

Maryon Pearson, the wife of former Prime Minister Lester B. "Mike" Pearson, once said that "Behind every successful man is a surprised woman." Considering his accomplishments, in and out of the political arena, one wonders what there is to be surprised about.

While he was, reportedly, a humble man it was his skill as a mediator that made him so successful as a diplomat, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and, later, as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Pearson's role as a diplomat enlarged Canada's reputation in the arena of global politics and it was his creation of the United Nations Emergency Force that averted a war during the Suez Canal crisis. For that he won Canada's first Nobel Peace prize in 1957. The blue berets worn by peacekeeping troops all over the world reflect his role as the father of modern peacekeeping and, at the time, cemented his status in diplomatic circles.
It is ironic that his reputation as a peaceful man became a hindrance when, at last, he became Prime Minister of his country in 1963. In a poll conducted later, most people considered him a better diplomat than politician. During his time as Prime Minister he was often at odds with public sentiment and the continuing embarrassments and scandals that plagued his party marked him as ineffective, something which his politically savvy opponent John Diefenbaker mercilessly attacked him for.

Despite a personality that was, perhaps, unsuited to politics, and his five year stint at the head of the struggling minority Liberal government, Pearson was able to push through legislation that defines this country to this day. The Canada Pension Plan, universal health care, government funded student loans, a new Canadian flag, the model of today's immigration system and official bilingualism are all remnants of Pearson's idealism and perseverance.

Pearson's personal accomplishments in diplomacy, for which he is fondly remembered, and his tenure as Prime Minister, for which he is criticized as having been lack-luster and publicly awkward, is perhaps why, behind him, stood a surprised woman. Maryon Pearson was vocal in her disappointment when her husband accepted the office of Prime Minister at a time when most men are thinking of retirement. Nonetheless, Pearson led this country until 1968, when he retired from politics and began to teach at Carleton University and to write his memoirs. Considering that few Prime Ministers come to office with such extraordinary credentials, it is perhaps not very surprising that fewer still will be remembered as being truly great Canadians.