Escott M. Reid
Escott Reid was a social science researcher, socialist intellectual, theorist of Canadian neutrality, diplomat and public servant, college principal, and a passionately committed educator.
In 1932, Reid became the first permanent national secretary of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA). He was active in the League for Social Reconstruction, an association of left-wing intellectuals founded in Montreal and Toronto in the winter of 1931-1932. He also joined the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, the new social-democratic political party that took shape in 1932-1933. In the 1950’s, Reid served as Canadian High Commissioner to India and ambassador to West Germany. In 1962, he left External Affairs to join the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In 1971 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He died in 1999 at the age of 94.