Louis St. Laurent

The Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent PC CC QC
St. Laurent, c. 1948
12th Prime Minister of Canada
In office November 15, 1948 – June 21, 1957
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Governors General	The Viscount Alexander of Tunis Vincent Massey
Preceded by	W. L. Mackenzie King
Succeeded by	John Diefenbaker
Leader of the Opposition
In office June 21, 1957 – January 16, 1958
Preceded by	John Diefenbaker
Succeeded by	Lester B. Pearson
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office August 7, 1948 – January 16, 1958
Preceded by	W. L. Mackenzie King
Succeeded by	Lester B. Pearson
Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
In office September 10 – November 14, 1948 Acting: July 1 – September 9, 1948
Prime Minister	W. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded by	James Lorimer Ilsley
Succeeded by	Stuart Garson
In office December 10, 1941 – December 9, 1946
Prime Minister	W. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded by	Joseph-Enoil Michaud
Succeeded by	James Lorimer Ilsley
Secretary of State for External Affairs
In office September 4, 1946 – September 9, 1948
Prime Minister	W. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded by	W. L. Mackenzie King
Succeeded by	Lester B. Pearson
Member of Parliament for Quebec East
In office February 9, 1942 – March 31, 1958
Preceded by	Ernest Lapointe
Succeeded by	Yvon-Roma Tassé
Personal details
Born	Louis Stephen St-Laurent (1882-02-01)February 1, 1882 Compton, Quebec, Canada
Died	July 25, 1973(1973-07-25) (aged 91) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Resting place	Saint Thomas d'Aquin Cemetery, Compton, Quebec
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Jeanne Renault ​ ​ (m. 1908; died 1966)​
Children	5, including Jean-Paul
Alma mater	Séminaire Saint-Charles-Borromée Université Laval
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

Louis Stephen St. Laurent PC CC QC (French: [lwi sɛ̃ lɔʁɑ̃]; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957.

Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading lawyer and a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada. In 1941, he entered politics as minister of justice under Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, and in 1942 he won a by-election in the riding of Quebec East. In 1946, St. Laurent became secretary of state for external affairs and served in that post until two years later, when he became leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister, succeeding King who retired. St. Laurent carried the party to back-to-back landslide majority governments in the federal elections of 1949 and 1953.

The second French Canadian to hold the office, St. Laurent helped shape post-war Canada. His government introduced the policy of equalization payments, significantly increased immigration, established the Canada Council, and oversaw the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway, St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Trans-Canada Pipeline. His government also oversaw an expansion of Canada's social programs, including the introduction of the registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and an early form of Medicare known as Hospital Insurance. In foreign policy, St. Laurent's government facilitated Canada's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and committed the third largest overall contribution of troops, ships, and aircraft to the Korean War. In 1956, under his direction, St. Laurent's secretary of state for external affairs, Lester B. Pearson, helped resolve the Suez Crisis, which won Pearson the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.

St. Laurent earned the nickname "Uncle Louis" as he was popular among the general public throughout his tenure, and the popularity of his government led many to predict that he would easily win the 1957 federal election. However, his decision to rush the 1956 debate on the Trans-Canada Pipeline by invoking closure led some to believe that the Liberals had become arrogant from their two decades in power, and in a major upset, the party was narrowly defeated by John Diefenbaker's Progressive Conservatives, ending nearly 22 years of Liberal rule. Shortly after his defeat, St. Laurent retired from politics and returned to his law practice. He is ranked highly in rankings of Canadian prime ministers, although his government has been criticised for its role in the High Arctic relocation. According to historian Donald Creighton, St. Laurent was an "eminently moderate, cautious...man...and a strong Canadian nationalist."^[1]