Norman Robertson

Norman Robertson studied at the University of British Columbia and Oxford before joining External Affairs in 1929. As under-secretary from 1941, he managed the department’s wartime expansion and helped strengthen Canada’s role among the Allies. He later became the first career civil servant appointed high commissioner in London. ¹

Robertson argued that Atlantic cooperation should extend beyond defence. He helped secure Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which called for economic cooperation and the reduction of conflicting economic policies. His concern was that competition for postwar markets could weaken the alliance. Following his London service, he represented Canada in Washington in 1957–1958. ^{1, 2}