Fonds documents the life and career of the Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker. The fonds includes records relating to both of Diefenbaker's careers; that of a respected defence lawyer and as Canada's thirteenth prime minister. The fonds provides information on all aspects of Diefenbaker's political career, including his work within the Conservative Party, as a Member of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister. These political records document policy development, program initiatives, such as northern development and the Bill of Rights, as well as international affairs, the cold war and government scandals.
The fonds contains extensive records pertaining to Diefenbaker's personal life, and that of his family. Olive Diefenbaker's life as a political wife is also well documented. Diefenbaker's strong desire to preserve material relating to his personal history and that of his family has resulted in a comprehensive set of family papers.
In addition to records about the "Chief", the fonds contains a great deal about life in western Canada, particularly Saskatchewan, in the first half of the twentieth century. For example, Diefenbaker's legal records offer insight into the activities of a small town, prairie lawyer in the 1920s and 1930s. The Saskatchewan political scene is captured in these records, and much of the family correspondence depicts the lives of ordinary Canadians trying to build a life on the prairies. Aforementioned textual records have been divided into the following series: Original documents; Series I, Legal series; Series II, Pre-1940 series; Series III, 1940-1956 series; Series IV, Leader of the Official Opposition; Series V, Family series; Series VI, Prime Minister's Office: Numbered files, 1957-1963; Series VII, Reference series, 1957-1967; Series XII, Personal and confidential series; and Series VIII, PMO unnumbered correspondence series.
Fonds also contains moving images including a television episode entitled The Homestead Years, from the television series The Diefenbaker Years. The episode deals with stories of the early days of Diefenbaker on the prairie. Photos, drawings and memoirs are woven throughout to tell this story.
Also included in fonds are sound recordings documenting oral history interviews of Marjorie Pound, Beatrice Eligh, Archie McQueen and Gordon Heatherington, former staff members in the Prime Minister's office during Diefenbaker's tenure as prime minister.
Fonds also contains photographs including portraits of Edna Mae Diefenbaker by Ashley and Crippen, 1929; interior of speakers' chambers, Centre Block Parliament Building, Ottawa, 1926; photo by Louis Jaques of J.G. Diefenbaker speaking in the House of Commons, Ottawa, 1948; children kneeling at the Canadian War grave, Reviers - Bény-sur-Mer, France, ca. 1950; signed official portrait of J.G. Diefenbaker, ca. 1957; signed official portrait of L.B. Pearson, ca. 1963; 27th Parliament, 12 January 1967; and a presentation of a video copy of the television program, The homestead years, to the Dominion Archivist, Dr. W.I. Smith, by J.G. Diefenbaker, in his office at the House of Commons, 18 April 1973.
Also included are reproductions of 8 watercolours and drawings related to the early life of J.G. Diefenbaker use in the CTV production of The homestead years (1972). Original works by Eleanor Kish and Rachel H. Beaulieu.
In addition, fonds includes an enamelled gold collar and pendant badge of a Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, given with a presentation plaque to Jeffrey, Lord Amherst, March 1761.
Included in original fonds were photographs of John G. Diefenbaker, John Einarsson, and Michael A. McMillan in France; Diefenbaker, Canadian Officer's Overseas Draft, Regina, Saskatchewan, 29 August 1916; and a visit of Diefenbaker with Sir Winston Churchill, London, England on 12 May 1960. These photographs were de-accessioned to The Diefenbaker Canada Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, in April 2001.
