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When Prime Minister
St-Laurent needed a successor to Lord
Alexander as Governor General, he
decided on the choice of a Canadian for
the post.
He selected a brilliant
son of a rich Canadian manufacturing
family, The right Honourable Vincent
Massey, who was born in Toronto on
February 20, 1887, His nomination
received swift Royal Assent and soon
gained general approval from the
Canadian public.
Vincent Massey was no
stranger to public service. He was
educated at the University of Toronto,
and at Oxford, and lectured for a time
at the University of Toronto. His
brother, Raymond Massey, was a leading
actor on the screen and stage.
He was Canadian Minister
to Washington for four years and was
High Commissioner in London from 1935 to
1946. Throughout the war years, he and
his wife played host to thousands of
Canadian Service personnel. He was
appointed to the U.K. Privy Council in
1941 and was made Companion of Honour in
1946.
In 1949-51 he headed the
Royal Commission on National Development
in the Arts, Letters, and Sciences and
produced a monumental and authoritative
report which was a guidebook for
Canadian cultural development. He was an
optimistic and dedicated worker in the
cause of national unity.
Conscious of his role as
Canada's first Canadian Governor
General, Mr. Massey travelled widely to
meet Canadians from all walks of life
and even flew over the North Pole
on a special flight. He was the author
of many works, including a collection of
his speeches. On one occasion, as guest
of honour at the annual dinner of the
Parliamentary Press Gallery, his address
was in the form of a witty narrative
poem which has since become a
collector's item. Mrs. Massey died in
1950 and the chatelaine at Rideau Hall
during Mr. Massey's tenure was his
daughter in law, Mrs. Lionel Massey.
There were many formal functions and
each winter a program of informal dances
for young people.
His term of office
exceeded seven years and in 1959 he
retired to his home, 'Batterwood House '
near Port Hope Ontario. |
