Governor General Jules Leger served as Canada's Head of State from 1974 -1979. Prior to his appointment, he was Associate Editor of Le Droit, and then a teacher of the history of diplomacy at the University of Ottawa. He also served as Under-secretary of State for External Affairs, Ambassador to Mexico, and held posts with NATO and the OECD in Paris.
A great supporter of the arts, Leger established a music prize in 1978, to encourage the creation of new music in the country. Administered by the Canada Council, the Jules Leger Prize for new chamber music is awarded annually to a Canadian composer. In 2012, the winner was Zosha di Castri.
Jules Leger had the misfortune of suffering a stroke while he was governor general, and his wife Gabrielle assisted and supported him while he recovered. Leger's wife was also instrumental in restoring the residence at La Citadelle in Quebec following a fire that damaged some of the rooms. Madame Leger travelled throughout Canada with her husband and also established a prize -- the Gabrielle Leger Medal for heritage conservation. The portrait of the Legers in Rideau Hall is the only one that contains a spouse of a governor general.
In 1979 the Canadian government established an academic prize in honour of the Legers, the Jules and Gabrielle Leger Fellowship. Its is awarded to Canadian scholars studying and analyzing "the role, function and historical contributions of the Crown and its representatives in Canada." (GG Archive)
Jules Leger also established a scholarship at the University of Regina to promote excellence in bilingual studies. He was given an honorary degree by the University of Sherbrooke, and both Legers received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa. Jules Leger died in 1980.
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