Memorable Manitobans: Robert Gerald “Gerry” Riddell (1908-1951)

Click to enlarge

Robert Gerald Riddell
Click to enlarge

Diplomat, historian.

Born at Edmonton, Alberta on 4 May 1908, he came to Manitoba in 1917 with his father John Henry Riddell, who became Principal of Wesley College. He attended Kelvin High School, received a BA degree from the University of Manitoba in 1930 and went on to an MA at the University of Toronto and a BLitt at Oxford (1934). His specialty was imperial history, which he taught at the University of Toronto from 1934 until 1942, when he joined the External Affairs Department in Ottawa. He became head of the United Nations division in 1946, Special Assistant to the Minister for External Affairs in 1949, and Canada’s permanent UN delegate in June 1950. He died of a heart attack while on holiday at Virgina Beach, Virginia on 16 March 1951.

See also:

Growing up with the Korean War: A Memoir of 1950-51 by John Riddell

Sources:

“Canada’s delegate to UN, R. G. Riddell dies at 42,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 March 1951, page 1.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

We thank John Riddell for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 27 June 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!