Simon Reisman | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1919 |
| Died | March 9, 2008 (aged 88) |
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Occupation | federal civil servant |
| Known for | Negotiator for the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement |
Sol Simon Reisman OC (June 19, 1919 – March 9, 2008 [1]) was a Canadian civil servant, and the country's chief negotiator for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Biography
Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Kolman and Manya Reisman, Reisman graduated from Baron Byng High School [1] before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science in 1941 and a Master of Arts degree in 1942 from McGill University. [2] He was a veteran of the Second World War, having served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany with the Royal Canadian Artillery. [3] After the war, he studied at the London School of Economics. [3]
In 1946, he entered public service joining the Department of Labour. Reisman was a member of Canada's delegation to the inaugural session of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in the late 1940s. [3] He made major contributions toward the drafting of the Canada-U.S. Auto Pact. [4] Reisman rose to senior positions in the public service, including deputy minister in the Department of Finance and the Department of Industry before retiring in 1975. [3] Following the election of Brian Mulroney, Reisman sent the new prime minister a memo advocating free trade negotiations with the United States. [3] Mulroney accepted Reisman's plan and, in 1985, tapped him to lead Canada's trade negotiations with the United States. [3] Between 1991 and 2000, Reisman served as the Chairman of the Board of Ranger Oil Limited.
Reisman was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 [5] and received the Outstanding Public Service Award in 1974. [3]
He was married to Constance Carin for 65 years. They had three children, [1] Joe, Anna, and Harriet, and nine grandchildren. [1] He is uncle to Heather Reisman of Indigo Books of Toronto.
He died at Ottawa, Ontario on March 9, 2008, at the age of 88. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Death notice". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04.
- ^ "Canadian Who's Who". University of Toronto Press.[ permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g Greenway, Norma (2008-03-10). "Tough-talking former trade negotiator Simon Reisman dies". CanWest News Service. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ Simon Reisman Obituary
- ^ "Order of Canada citation".[ permanent dead link]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
.svg){kind=small}
 | This biography of a person who has held a non-elected position in the Government of Canada is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Simon Reisman | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1919 |
| Died | March 9, 2008 (aged 88) |
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Occupation | federal civil servant |
| Known for | Negotiator for the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement |
Sol Simon Reisman OC (June 19, 1919 – March 9, 2008 [1]) was a Canadian civil servant, and the country's chief negotiator for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Biography
Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Kolman and Manya Reisman, Reisman graduated from Baron Byng High School [1] before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science in 1941 and a Master of Arts degree in 1942 from McGill University. [2] He was a veteran of the Second World War, having served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany with the Royal Canadian Artillery. [3] After the war, he studied at the London School of Economics. [3]
In 1946, he entered public service joining the Department of Labour. Reisman was a member of Canada's delegation to the inaugural session of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in the late 1940s. [3] He made major contributions toward the drafting of the Canada-U.S. Auto Pact. [4] Reisman rose to senior positions in the public service, including deputy minister in the Department of Finance and the Department of Industry before retiring in 1975. [3] Following the election of Brian Mulroney, Reisman sent the new prime minister a memo advocating free trade negotiations with the United States. [3] Mulroney accepted Reisman's plan and, in 1985, tapped him to lead Canada's trade negotiations with the United States. [3] Between 1991 and 2000, Reisman served as the Chairman of the Board of Ranger Oil Limited.
Reisman was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 [5] and received the Outstanding Public Service Award in 1974. [3]
He was married to Constance Carin for 65 years. They had three children, [1] Joe, Anna, and Harriet, and nine grandchildren. [1] He is uncle to Heather Reisman of Indigo Books of Toronto.
He died at Ottawa, Ontario on March 9, 2008, at the age of 88. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Death notice". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04.
- ^ "Canadian Who's Who". University of Toronto Press.[ permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g Greenway, Norma (2008-03-10). "Tough-talking former trade negotiator Simon Reisman dies". CanWest News Service. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ Simon Reisman Obituary
- ^ "Order of Canada citation".[ permanent dead link]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
|
| This biography of a person who has held a non-elected position in the Government of Canada is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |