Louis Stephen St. Laurent PC CC QC was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada, from 15 November 1948 to 21 June 1957.
Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading lawyer and a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was notable for having strong support within the Catholic francophone community. In February 1942, St. Laurent entered politics as he won a by-election in the riding of Quebec East and immediately became Minister of Justice under prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. In September 1946, St. Laurent became Secretary of State for External Affairs and served in that post until just over two years later, where he became Leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister, succeeding King who retired.
The second French Canadian to hold the office, St. Laurent strongly advocated against communism, and was an enthusiastic proponent of Canada joining NATO in 1949 to fight the spread of the ideology, overcoming opposition from some intellectuals, the Labor-Progressive Party, and many French Canadians. St.