Sherwood Lett
Encyclopedia
Sherwood Lett, was a Canadian
soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and jurist.
. In 1915, he became the first President of the Alma Mater Society. He received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1916. He was married to Evelyn Story
.
, he served with the Irish Fusiliers of Canada in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
and was wounded in 1918. He was awarded the Military Cross
.
and he received a Bachelor of Arts in jurisprudence at Oxford University. In 1923, he joined the law firm of Davis & Company where he practiced corporate and taxation law. He would remain at the firm until 1963. He was a member of the Senate of the University of British Columbia from 1924 to 1957 and a member of the Board of Governors from 1935 to 1940 and from 1951 to 1957.
in England in 1941. In 1942, he was the Commanding Officer of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade which fought at The Battle of Dieppe. During this campaign he was wounded and received the Distinguished Service Order. After recovering, from 1943 to 1944, he was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In 1944, he resumed command of the 4th Canadian Brigade and took part in the D-Day
landing in Normandy where he was wounded. He was later made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
, the international force established in 1954 that oversaw the implementation of the Geneva Accords
that ended the First Indochina War
with the Partition of Vietnam. His deputy was Saul Rae
. In 1963, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
. He served until his death in 1964.
From 1951 to 1957, he was the Chancellor of the University of British Columbia. He was awarded an honorary LL.D from the University of British Columbia in 1945.
Prime Minister
Lester Pearson said of him, "I know of no Canadian who has served his country in war and peace with greater distinction and more unselfishly."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and jurist.
Early life
Born in Iroquois, Ontario, he came to British Columbia in his early years. He started his education at the McGill University College of British Columbia which became the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. In 1915, he became the first President of the Alma Mater Society. He received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1916. He was married to Evelyn Story
Evelyn Lett
Evelyn Lett, was a Canadian women's rights pioneer.Born Evelyn Story in Wawanesa, Manitoba, she moved with her family to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1910. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1917 from the University of British Columbia , one of first female graduates...
.
World War I
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served with the Irish Fusiliers of Canada in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
and was wounded in 1918. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.
Between the wars
In 1919, he was awarded a Rhodes ScholarshipRhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
and he received a Bachelor of Arts in jurisprudence at Oxford University. In 1923, he joined the law firm of Davis & Company where he practiced corporate and taxation law. He would remain at the firm until 1963. He was a member of the Senate of the University of British Columbia from 1924 to 1957 and a member of the Board of Governors from 1935 to 1940 and from 1951 to 1957.
World War II
In 1939, he rejoined the Canadian Army as a Brigadier and was the Commanding Officer of the South Saskatchewan RegimentThe South Saskatchewan Regiment
The South Saskatchewan Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces formed in 1936 by the amalgamation of The Weyburn Regiment and The Saskatchewan Border Regiment. It was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle in 1968...
in England in 1941. In 1942, he was the Commanding Officer of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade which fought at The Battle of Dieppe. During this campaign he was wounded and received the Distinguished Service Order. After recovering, from 1943 to 1944, he was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In 1944, he resumed command of the 4th Canadian Brigade and took part in the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landing in Normandy where he was wounded. He was later made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Post-war
After the war, he re-joined his law practice at Davis & Company. In 1954, he became the head of the Canadian group on the International Control CommissionInternational Control Commission
The International Control Commission , formally called the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam , was an international force established in 1954 that oversaw the implementation of the Geneva Accords that ended the First Indochina War with the Partition of Vietnam. It...
, the international force established in 1954 that oversaw the implementation of the Geneva Accords
Geneva Conference (1954)
The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...
that ended the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
with the Partition of Vietnam. His deputy was Saul Rae
Saul Rae
Saul Forbes Rae was a Canadian diplomat during the Pearsonian era of Canadian foreign policy.Rae's father was born Goodman Cohen in Palanga, Lithuania. The Cohen family had moved to Scotland in the pogrom of the 1890s, and there Goodman met Helen McRae, the daughter of a draughtsman in the...
. In 1963, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Supreme Court of British Columbia
The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges...
. He served until his death in 1964.
From 1951 to 1957, he was the Chancellor of the University of British Columbia. He was awarded an honorary LL.D from the University of British Columbia in 1945.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Lester Pearson said of him, "I know of no Canadian who has served his country in war and peace with greater distinction and more unselfishly."
External links
- Sherwood Lett at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...