Robert Gordon Robertson

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Robert Gordon Robertson

In office
November 15, 1953 – July 12, 1963
Preceded by Hugh Andrew Young
Succeeded by Bent Gestur Sivertz

Born May 19, 1917 (1917-05-19) (age 91)
Flag of Saskatchewan Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada
Religion United Church of Canada

Robert Gordon Robertson, PC , CC , MA , DU , FRSC (born May 19, 1917) was Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from November 15, 1953 to July 12, 1963 who, having been sworn in at the age of 36, remains the youngest person to ever hold the office. [1]

Born in Davidson, Saskatchewan, Robertson was educated at University of Saskatchewan, University of Oxford and University of Toronto. He joined the Department of External Affairs in 1941. From 1963 to 1975, he was clerk of the Privy Council and Cabinet secretary.

In 1970, he won The Vanier Medal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

In 1976 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Robertson served as Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa from 1980 to 1990.

In 2000, Robertson published "Memoirs of a Very Civil Servant", which recounted his experiences as a senior civil servant under five Canadian Prime Ministers.

As of 2006, Robertson is the oldest living former head of a Canadian Province/Territory, although the oldest living Premier is Dufferin Roblin, who is less than a month younger than Robertson.

Government offices
Preceded by
Hugh Andrew Young
Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
19531963
Succeeded by
Bent Gestur Sivertz
Academic offices
Preceded by
Gerhard Herzberg
Chancellor of Carleton University
1980–1990
Succeeded by
Pauline Jewett

[edit] References