J.W.T. Spinks, University President, making presentation of an honourary Doctor of Laws degree to the Right Honourable Louis St. Laurent at 52nd annual Convocation held in Physical Education gymnasium.

Bio/Historical Note: Louis St. Laurent (1882-1973) was born in Compton, Quebec, and studied at St. Charles College (Sherbrooke) and at Laval University (Quebec). St. Laurent was called to the bar in 1905 and became one of Canada’s leading lawyers, serving two terms as president of the Canadian Bar Association. In 1914 he was appointed professor of law at Laval University. In 1941 he was asked by Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King to enter public life. As a member of the Liberal Party, St. Laurent was elected to the Canadian House of Commons from Quebec East in 1942 and was re-elected in all subsequent elections until his retirement. King appointed him minister of justice and attorney general and later secretary of state for external affairs (acting in 1945, regular 1946). St. Laurent was deputy chairman of the Canadian delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in 1945 and served as leader of the delegations at the UN General Assembly sessions in London and New York City in 1946-1947. St. Laurent accepted the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1948 and succeeded King as prime minister. Under Saint Laurent’s leadership Newfoundland became a part of the dominion; his government supported UN intervention in Korea (1950–1953) and in Suez (1956); and Canada helped to keep India and Pakistan as members of the Commonwealth. St. Laurent endeavoured to unify and develop the country by equalizing provincial revenues, by expanding social security and university education, and by establishing a council for promoting arts and letters. St. Laurent led his party to great victories in the general elections of 1949 and 1953, but the Liberals were narrowly defeated in 1957. After a short period as Leader of the Opposition and now more than 75 years old, St. Laurent's motivation to be involved in politics was gone. He announced his intention to retire from politics. What had been a "temporary" political career had lasted 17 years. He was succeeded as Liberal Party leader by his former Secretary of State for External Affairs and representative at the United Nations, Lester B. Pearson, at the party's leadership convention in 1958. After his political retirement, he returned to practising law. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, a newly created award, in 1967. Saint Laurent died in Quebec City, Quebec, in 1973.