Norman Alexander Robertson, C.C.
Clerk of the Privy Council
and
Secretary to the Cabinet
March 15, 1949 to May 31, 1952
On March 15, 1949, Norman Alexander Robertson was appointed Clerk of the Privy
Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, a position he held until May 31, 1952.
Mr. Robertson studied at the University of British Columbia as well as at Oxford
University as a Rhodes scholar and at the Brookings Graduate School in
Washington, D.C. He joined the Department of External Affairs in 1929, remaining
there until the late 1930s when he was seconded to Prime Minister King’s
staff. In 1941, Mr. Robertson was appointed Under Secretary of State for
External Affairs. He played an important role in the wartime administration and
accompanied the Prime Minister to the major international conferences during and
after the Second World War, including the United Nations Conference in San
Francisco in 1945 and the Commonwealth Prime Ministers meeting in London in
1946. He served two terms as Canadian High Commissioner in London (1946-49 and
1952-57) and one year as Canadian Ambassador in Washington (1957-58). He served
again as Under Secretary of State for External Affairs from 1958 to 1964. In
1966, Mr. Robertson became the first Director of the School of International
Affairs at Carleton University. In 1967, he was appointed Companion of the Order
of Canada for his nearly 40 years of service to Canada as a public servant and
career diplomat. He passed away on July 16, 1968.
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