John Buchan

A clergyman's son, John Buchan published six books of fiction, poetry and history while an Oxford undergraduate. He was briefly an administrator in South Africa, a political journalist and tax lawyer. The books that he wrote, including The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) and Lord Minto (1924), gave him a creative outlet and a comfortable income. During World War I, Buchan was a correspondent for the London Times in France before becoming Director of Information under Lord Beaverbrook in 1917. He held many positions including the president of the Scottish Historical Society, trustee of the National Library of Scotland, and director of publishing company Thomas Nelson and Son (1906-1929). He was returned to U.K. Parlamient as Unionist/Conservative member representing Scottish Universities (1927-1935), but was too lacking in partisan fervor for a Cabinet post. Prior to his appointment as Governor General Buchan was raised to the peerage as Baron Tweedsmuir. Horrified by World War I, Baron Tweedsmuir supported peace initiatives of the US President Franklin Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, with whom Tweedsmuir forged strong links. He travelled throughout Canada, including the Arctic Circle, and instituted the Governor General's Literary Awards in 1937. Appointed U.K. Privy Council (28 May 1937). During the term of Tweedsmuir as governor general, King George VI visited Canada (1939) it was the first visit to Canada by a reigning Sovereign.