Dale C. Thomson facts for kids

Dale Cairns Thomson DFC (born June 17, 1923 – died April 27, 1999) was a very smart Canadian. He was a brave pilot during World War II, a helpful assistant to a Canadian Prime Minister, and a respected professor. He taught at the Université de Montréal and McGill University in Canada. He also taught in the United States at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. Besides teaching, he wrote several important books about history.

Dale Thomson was born on a farm in Westlock, Alberta. During World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was a pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery.

After the war, he went to the University of Alberta. He earned a B.A. degree in 1948. Dale Thomson was very good at languages. He learned to speak French and German fluently. He studied in Paris, France, and earned a diploma in international relations in 1950. He then got his doctorate degree from the University of Paris in 1951. For his special research paper, he studied how geography affects politics. He even spent time in Germany for this research.

When he came back to Canada, Dale Thomson worked for a short time at the National Film Board of Canada. Soon after, he was asked to work for the Canadian Prime Minister, Louis St. Laurent. He was the Prime Minister's Associate Private Secretary until 1958. This meant he helped the Prime Minister with many important tasks. He was also involved with the Liberal Party of Quebec and the Liberal Party of Canada. In the 1958 Canadian federal election, he ran for a political position but did not win.

After his time in politics, Dale Thomson went back to teaching at universities. He had a great career there. He wrote many important books about Canadian history and politics. He also wrote articles for newspapers and was often a guest on TV and radio shows. He would talk about Canadian politics and share his knowledge.

Dale Thomson passed away in 1999 after being sick for a while. His important papers and writings are kept at the McGill University Archives.

Teaching and Leadership Roles

Dale Thomson held many important jobs at different universities:

• Université de Montréal: He was a professor from 1960 to 1969. He also led a department from 1963 to 1967.
• Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies: From 1969 to 1973, he was a professor of international relations. He also helped start and lead the Center of Canadian Studies there.
• McGill University: He was a Vice-Principal from 1973 to 1976. He also taught political science from 1973 until 1994.

Groups He Joined

Dale Thomson was a member of several important groups:

• Association for Canadian Studies in the United States
• Canadian Political Science Association/Société Canadienne de Science Politique (This group is for people who study politics in Canada.)
• International Society for Political Psychology (This group looks at how psychology and politics are connected.)
• International Association for Mass Communication Research (This group studies how people communicate through things like TV and radio.)
• He was also on the Board of Directors for the International Centre for Ethnic Studies in Sri Lanka.

Books He Wrote

Dale Thomson wrote many books, often about Canadian leaders and history:

• Alexander Mackenzie : Clear Grit (1960)
• Louis St. Laurent, Canadian (1967)
• Canadian Foreign Policy : Options And Perspectives (with Roger F. Swanson, 1971)
• Quebec Society And Politics: Views From The Inside (1973)
• Mémoire à la Commission parlementaire de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec à propos du projet de loi no 1, Charte de la langue française au Québec (1977) (This book was about a law on the French language in Quebec.)
• Jean Lesage & The Quiet Revolution (1984)
• Vive le Québec Libre (1988)