Arnold Cantwell Smith
Arnold Cantwell Smith was a prominent Canadian diplomat and academic, born on January 18, 1915, in Toronto, Ontario. He received an extensive education, attending institutions such as Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto, and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Smith joined the Canadian diplomatic service in 1939, where he made significant contributions, including editing The Baltic Times in Estonia and teaching political economy at the University of Tartu.
His career included key roles such as serving as the ambassador to the United Arab Republic and the Soviet Union, as well as being the secretary-general for the Commonwealth Secretariat from 1965 to 1975. During this time, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation and the Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles. Following his diplomatic career, he transitioned to academia, serving as a professor at Carleton University and authoring influential works on international relations. Smith's contributions to diplomacy and international affairs earned him numerous honors, including his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984. He passed away on February 7, 1994, in Toronto, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to global diplomacy and education.
Arnold Cantwell Smith
Diplomat
- Born: January 18, 1915
- Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
- Died: February 7, 1994
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario
Contributions: Arnold Cantwell Smith was a Canadian diplomat who served several important roles for his country. He served as ambassador to the United Arab Republic from 1958 to 1961 and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1961 to 1963. However, he is best remembered as being the first secretary-general of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth of Nations, from 1965 to 1975.
Early Life and Education
Arnold Cantwell Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, on January18, 1915. He was educated at a number of schools, including the Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto, Gray’s Inn in London, England, and Oxford University’s Christ Church in Oxford, England, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
In 1939, Smith joined the Canadian diplomatic service. During this same year, he worked as an editor for The Baltic Times in Estonia and taught political economy at the University of Tartu, also in Estonia.
Career
In 1943, Smith was sent to Russia as part of the Department of External Affairs. He remained there until 1945 when he became secretary of the Kellock-Taschereau Royal Commission. This commission was established when a Soviet cipher officer, Igor Gouzenko, exposed a Soviet spy ring in Canada. The commission investigated the claims of espionage and helped establish a more substantial security system for Canada.
From 1958 to 1961, Smith served as the ambassador to the United Arab Republic. From 1961 to 1963, he served as the ambassador to the Soviet Union in Moscow. From 1965 to 1975, Smith held the title of the secretary-general for the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was during this time that he made some of his most famous contributions, summed up in his 1981 book Stitches in Time. During his time as secretary-general, for example, Smith helped create the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) and the Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles, one of the more important documents in the Commonwealth’s constitution.
Once his second term as secretary-general was complete, Smith went to Carleton University where, from 1976 to 1981, he was appointed a Lester B. Pearson professor and taught international affairs. After his teaching career, Smith turned to writing, including publishing The We-They Frontier: From International Relations to World Politics in 1983.
Honors and Awards
Throughout his life, Smith held many titles and was honored with a number of awards. He was also chairman of a number of committees and organizations, including the North-South Institute, the International Peace Academy, and the Hudson Institute of Canada.
His most prestigious honor, however, was being named to the Order of Canada, an accolade he received for his outstanding ambassadorial career and his contributions to the external affairs of Canada. The honor of Officer of the Order of Canada was bestowed upon Smith on December 17, 1984, and on April 10, 1985, he was adorned.
Personal Life
Arnold Cantwell Smith died on February 7, 1994, in Toronto, Ontario, after years of battling an undisclosed illness. He was survived by his brother, Wilfred Cantwell Smith (1916–2000), a writer and professor of comparative religion.
Principal Works
Stitches in Time: the Commonwealth in World Politics, 1981 (with Clyde Sanger)
The We-They Frontier: From International Relations to World Politics, 1983
Multilateral Negotiations and Mediations: Instruments and Methods, 1985
Bibliography
Akinrinade, Sola. “The Arnold Smith Papers.” Round Table 348.1 (1998): 543+. Print.
Anyaoku, Emeka. “Obituary: Arnold Smith.” Independent. Independent.co.uk, 10 Feb. 1994. Web. 26 July 2013.
Brown, Alan L. “The Gouzenko Affair 1945–1946.” Ontario’s Historical Plaques. Alan L. Brown, June 2009. Web. 26 July 2013.
Commonwealth Secretariat. “Arnold Smith.” Commonwealth. CHOGM, 2011. Web. 26 July 2013.
Commonwealth Secretariat. Declaration of Commonwealth Principles 1971. London: Commonwealth Secretariat Communication and Public Affairs Division. 2004. PDF file.
Governor General of Canada. “Honors, Order of Canada: Arnold Cantwell Smith, C.H., O.C., M.A., LL.D.” Governor General of Canada. Governor General of Canada, 30 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 July 2013.
Hillmer, Norman. “Arnold Cantwell Smith.” Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Dominion, 2012. Web. 26 July 2013.
McEwan, Hilary. “SMITH, Arnold (1915–1994).” AIM25. AIM25, 14 Dec. 2007. Web. 26 July 2013.
Northern Blue Publishing. “Recommendations, Kellock-Taschereau Commission.” History of Canada Online. Northern Blue Publishing, 14 Aug. 2007. Web. 26 July 2013.
“Smith, Arnold Cantwell (1915–1994).” Hutchinson’s Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. N.p.: Helicon, 2010.