E. Herbert Norman
Encyclopedia
Egerton Herbert Norman was a Canadian
diplomat and historian.
to Canadian Methodist missionaries, he studied at Victoria College
at the University of Toronto
, and Trinity College
at Cambridge University. He entered the graduate program in Japanese history at Harvard University
in 1936, where he studied under Edwin O. Reischauer
. He joined the Canadian foreign service in 1939 and earned his doctorate in 1940.
in Tokyo
. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941, Norman was interned by the Japanese authorities and he was not repatriated to Canada until mid-1942, where he continued to work in the Department of External Affairs. During the Allied occupation of Japan after its defeat in the war, Norman served as a Canadian representative to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
(SCAP) administration and worked under the direction of Douglas MacArthur
. He also became the first post-war president of the Asiatic Society of Japan
. Alongside his diplomatic activities, Norman remained an active scholar and wrote a number of works on Japanese history, which are still highly regarded by many historians.
agent
. Allegations centered on his involvement with various communist societies during his university years, and suspicion of various decisions he helped make during the Japanese occupation, including allowing the Japanese Communist Party
to continue while other parties were banned. Norman was eventually exonerated but American diplomats remained wary of Norman's presence in the upper echelons of External Affairs. Norman was fiercely protected by Secretary of State for External Affairs
Lester Pearson, a longtime friend. This created a variety of diplomatic conflicts with the U.S. Department of State, who refused to send sensitive information through Norman. Norman was eventually made High Commissioner to New Zealand
, both to placate American authorities and to isolate him from the stress and scrutiny of American intelligence.
In 1957, these suspicions were revived in the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security
. In April of the same year he committed suicide in Cairo
, where he had been serving as Canada's ambassador to Egypt
, by jumping off the roof of the Swedish
Embassy. He left a brief note, and to this day there is speculation as to whether the note was constructed by the CIA. The Canadian public at the time was horrified, and the incident caused some harm to Canada-U.S. relations.
The circumstances surrounding Norman’s death continue to provoke controversy. In 1990, Canadian Minister of External Affairs Joe Clark
received a report written by Peyton Lyon that tried to exonerate Norman, sparking a debate with Professor James Barros who had authored a 1986 book detailing Norman's links to Communist groups. In 1994, Dr. John Howes suggested that Norman took his life because he was concerned that the Communist allegations could jeopardize the negotiations during the Suez Crisis
. Norman is buried in the Protestant cemetery
in Rome
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
diplomat and historian.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Karuizawa, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to Canadian Methodist missionaries, he studied at Victoria College
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
at Cambridge University. He entered the graduate program in Japanese history at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1936, where he studied under Edwin O. Reischauer
Edwin O. Reischauer
Edwin Oldfather Reischauer was the leading U.S. educator and noted scholar of the history and culture of Japan, and of East Asia. From 1961–1966, he was the U.S. ambassador to Japan.-Education and academic life:...
. He joined the Canadian foreign service in 1939 and earned his doctorate in 1940.
Foreign service
His first post was with the Canadian LegationLegation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941, Norman was interned by the Japanese authorities and he was not repatriated to Canada until mid-1942, where he continued to work in the Department of External Affairs. During the Allied occupation of Japan after its defeat in the war, Norman served as a Canadian representative to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
(SCAP) administration and worked under the direction of Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. He also became the first post-war president of the Asiatic Society of Japan
Asiatic Society of Japan
The is a society of Japanese studies . Founded in 1872, the ASJ is Japan's oldest learned society.-Overview:The Asiatic Society of Japan was founded in 1872, five years after the Meiji restoration, at Yokohama by British and American residents - in particular missionaries, diplomats, businessmen...
. Alongside his diplomatic activities, Norman remained an active scholar and wrote a number of works on Japanese history, which are still highly regarded by many historians.
Controversy and suicide
Between 1950 and 1952, during the McCarthy Era, Norman was suspected of being a Communist and possibly a SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
agent
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. Allegations centered on his involvement with various communist societies during his university years, and suspicion of various decisions he helped make during the Japanese occupation, including allowing the Japanese Communist Party
Japanese Communist Party
The Japanese Communist Party is a left-wing political party in Japan.The JCP advocates the establishment of a society based on socialism, democracy and peace, and opposition to militarism...
to continue while other parties were banned. Norman was eventually exonerated but American diplomats remained wary of Norman's presence in the upper echelons of External Affairs. Norman was fiercely protected by Secretary of State for External Affairs
Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada)
Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs was, from 1909 to 1993, the member of the Cabinet of Canada responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations and the former Department of External Affairs...
Lester Pearson, a longtime friend. This created a variety of diplomatic conflicts with the U.S. Department of State, who refused to send sensitive information through Norman. Norman was eventually made High Commissioner to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, both to placate American authorities and to isolate him from the stress and scrutiny of American intelligence.
In 1957, these suspicions were revived in the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security
United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security
The Special Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws, 1951-77, more commonly known as the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee and sometimes the McCarran Committee, was authorized under S...
. In April of the same year he committed suicide in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, where he had been serving as Canada's ambassador to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, by jumping off the roof of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Embassy. He left a brief note, and to this day there is speculation as to whether the note was constructed by the CIA. The Canadian public at the time was horrified, and the incident caused some harm to Canada-U.S. relations.
The circumstances surrounding Norman’s death continue to provoke controversy. In 1990, Canadian Minister of External Affairs Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
received a report written by Peyton Lyon that tried to exonerate Norman, sparking a debate with Professor James Barros who had authored a 1986 book detailing Norman's links to Communist groups. In 1994, Dr. John Howes suggested that Norman took his life because he was concerned that the Communist allegations could jeopardize the negotiations during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
. Norman is buried in the Protestant cemetery
Protestant Cemetery, Rome
The Protestant Cemetery , now officially called the Cimitero acattolico and often referred to as the Cimitero degli Inglesi is a cemetery in Rome, located near Porta San Paolo alongside the Pyramid of Cestius, a small-scale Egyptian-style pyramid built in 30 BC as a tomb and later incorporated...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Publications
Further reading
- Barros, James. No sense of evil : espionage, the case of Herbert Norman. Toronto: Deneau, 1986.
- Bowen, Roger W. Innocence Is Not Enough: The Life and Death of Herbert Norman. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1986.
- M. Stanton Evans, "Blacklisted By History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies," (Three Rivers Press, New York, 2007).
- Maruyama Masao. "An Affection for the Lesser Names: An Appreciation of E. Herbert Norman (in Notes and Comment)." Pacific Affairs, September 1957, 249-53.
- Knight, Amy. "How the Cold War Began." Chapter 9 "Death of a Diplomat." New York: Carroll & Graf, 2005.