This series contains Diefenbaker’s papers for the six month period of his first term as Leader of the Opposition. Although Diefenbaker outpolled Donald Fleming and Davie Fulton after the first ballot, his rise to prominence had not been without its setbacks. This was his third try for the opposition which had escaped his grasp in 1942 and 1948. This series consists largely of post-convention correspondence and election material, but there are also files about headquarters organization, the appointment of advisors, and current political events such as the release of the report of the Gordon Commission on Canada’s Economic Prospects.