Fonds consists of four series: Pre 1958; Opposition year; External Affairs; and biographical research series.
Also included in the fonds are sound recordings documenting several talks, speeches and interviews with Martin in his various capacities. Included is a radio talk with Martin on CKLW; a speech by Martin at the Post-United III Symposium; interviews by Michael Goldbloom, Jack Besé and Evan Gill; and Gratton O'Leary speech at Wilfrid Laurier University. In addition are recordings from the program Hi Jinx; talks by Martin entitled The sounds of leadership, and Le mssage d'un chef; part of a CBC newscast; a Pearson tribute in Boston; and the continuation of a David Cox interview.
In addition, fonds includes five films as follows: Citizenship ceremony; Paul Martin; Pensions - Honourable Paul Martin gives instructions on filing; Newsreels - International; and the St. Laurent story.
Photographic material documents private and public lives of Hon. Paul Martin. Portrait of Paul Martin by Yousuf Karsh (1987).
Martin, Paul, 1903-1992 : Paul Joseph James Martin was born in Ottawa in 1903, attended St. Michael's College, University of Toronto; Osgoode Law School; Harvard Law School; Trinity College, Cambridge University, and Geneva School of International Studies. An unsuccessful candidate for the Ontario Legislature in a by-election in 1928, he was first elected to the House of Commons as the Liberal representative for Essex East in the general election in 1935. Martin held that seat without interruption until 1968 when he was appointed to the Senate. During his political career Martin served consecutively as Parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour, 1943-1945; Secretary of State, 1945-1946; Minister of Health and Welfare, 1946-1957; Minister of External Affairs, 1963-1968, and Leader of the Government in the Senate, 1968-1974. Martin resigned from both the Cabinet and the Senate in 1974 and was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a position he held until 1979. He died in 1993.
On many occasions Martin represented Canada internationally, especially as a delegate to the League of Nations, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations, and NATO meetings. During the course of his public career, Paul Martin received honorary degrees from no fewer than fifteen universities.
