Vincent Massey

Vincent Massey came from a manufacturing and philanthropic family and combined business with an interest in history, education, and the arts. He studied at Toronto and Oxford and led the Massey-Harris company before entering diplomacy. Appointed Canada’s first minister to Washington in 1926, he later became high commissioner in London in 1935. ¹

Massey chaired the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences. Its 1951 report helped bring about the National Library and the Canada Council. In 1952, he became the first Canadian born governor general. He used that office to support cultural institutions, encourage bilingualism, and travel throughout the country, and continued his philanthropic work with the Massey Foundation after leaving office. ¹