{{Short description|Canadian peace activist (1922–2019)}} {{Infobox person |name = Murray Thomson |image = Murray McCheyne Thomson.jpg |caption = Thomson in 2015 |birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1922|12|19}} |birth_place = Honan, China |death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2019|5|2|1922|12|19}}}} |death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |awards = {{nowrap|Pearson Medal of Peace (1990), <br />Order of Canada (2001)}} }}
'''Murray McCheyne Thomson''' {{post-nominals|OC}} (December 19, 1922 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian peace activist.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lumley|first1=Elizabeth|title=The Canadian Who's who|date=2000|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=0802049397|page=1257}}</ref>
Thomson was born in Honan, China where his parents were Christian missionaries. Thomson founded many non-profits in Canada.<ref name="utpress">{{cite web|url=http://www.utpress.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/cw2w3.cgi?p=thomson&t=12509&d=1424|title=Canadian Who's Who 1997 entry|accessdate=April 4, 2006}}</ref> He was the 1990 recipient of the Pearson Medal of Peace<ref>{{cite web |url=http://207.112.105.217/PEN/1991-02/sharpe.html |title=Murray Thomson: Ottawa's Peace Medal Winner |last=Sharpe |first=Alan |date=February 1991 |publisher=Peace and Environment News |access-date=1 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816153703/http://207.112.105.217/PEN/1991-02/sharpe.html |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="PBIC">{{cite web | last=Watson | first=Rick | title=The Peacefund Canada Foundation | website=Peace Brigades International Canada | url=http://www.pbicanada.org/index.php/en/take-action-2/donate-2/the-peacefund-canada-foundation-2 | access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref> for his work in peace and justice<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dennisgruending.ca/2012/12/murray-thomson-peace-activist-at-90/ |title=Murray Thomson, peace activist at 90 |last=Gruending |first=Dennis |date=8 December 2012 |access-date=1 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808101434/http://www.dennisgruending.ca/2012/12/murray-thomson-peace-activist-at-90/ |archive-date=8 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001.<ref name="OC Announcement">{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=380|title=The Governor General announces new appointments to the Order of Canada}}</ref><ref name="OC page">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=139&t=12&ln=Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}}</ref> He was also awarded the (Canadian) Golden Jubilee Medal<ref name="Recipients">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=40482&t=6&ln=McCheyne%20Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}}</ref> and the Diamond Jubilee Medal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=104861&t=13&ln=Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="Recipients"/> He is a former Executive Director of CUSO.<ref name="PBIC" />
He is credited in helping the formation of: * Grindstone Island{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} * The Peacefund Canada Foundation (1980s) * Peace Brigades International<ref name="OC page" /><ref name="PBIC" /> (1981) * Project Ploughshares<ref name="OC page" /><ref name="PBIC" /> (1976) * Group of 78 (1980) * Canadian Friends of Burma (1990) * Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention (2012){{citation needed|reason=uncertain|date=March 2018}}
Murray was a recognized international expert and advisor to governments, aid organizations, and lobbyists on disarmament and arms control.<ref name="OC page" /> He was significantly involved in starting the United Nations World Disarmament Campaign and drafting its policy document, which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly.<ref name="OC page" /> He continued to be active in advocating for disarmament into 2019.<ref>{{cite web | title=Canada must join new negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons | website=Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention | date=1 January 2017 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/2017/02/01/cnwc-statement-hill-times/ | access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref> For several years he led a campaign among members of the Order of Canada in calling for an international Nuclear Weapons Convention. Over 1,030 members of the Order have signed the statement as of May 2019.<ref>{{cite web | title=Welcome | website=Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention | date=1 December 2016 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/2017/01/01/welcome/ | access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref>
He died on May 2, 2019, in Ottawa, Canada.<ref>[http://www.quaker.org/peaceweb/poquak01.html Murray Thomson at Peaceweb/Peace/Ottawa]</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Tarasoff |first1=Koozma J. |title=Peacemaker Murray Thomson at 90 |url=http://spirit-wrestlers.blogspot.com/2012/12/peacemaker-murray-thomson-at-90.html |website=Spirit-Wrestlers Blog |publisher=Spirit Wrestlers Publishing |access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref>
His archives are held by William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
== Works == * {{cite book | last=Thomson | first=Murray | title=Minutes to midnight : why more than 800 Order of Canada recipients call for nuclear disarmament | publisher=Author | publication-place=Ottawa, ON | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-9696808-1-9 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/MurrayT-BOOK-Minutes-to-Midnight.pdf}} *A Time to Disarm: A Discussion Guide for Stimulating a National Dialogue on Canada and the UN's Special Session on Disarmament, 23 May - 28 June 1978 By Ernie Regehr and Murray Thomson *Daring Confidence: The Life and Times of Andrew Thomson in China 1906–1942. By Murray Thomson *Toward a Culture of Peace: Can We Afford to Pay the Price? By Murray Thomson
== References == <references />
== Further reading == * {{cite web |date=17 September 1990 |title=Murray Thomson | website=United Nations Association In Canada | url=http://unac.org/murray-thomson/ | access-date=1 February 2018}} * {{cite journal |editor-last=Stieren |editor-first=Carl |year=1995 |title=Ottawa Quakers active in peace work (a selection) |journal=Peaceweb |volume=1 |number=1 |publisher=Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Ottawa Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends |url=http://www.quaker.org/peaceweb/poquak01.html#MTHOMSON}} * {{cite journal |date=20 October 2001 |title=Government House: Order of Canada |journal=Canada Gazette |volume=135 |number=42 |url=http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2001/2001-10-20/pdf/g1-13542.pdf}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130523044104/http://www.gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/2001/2001-10-20/html/gh-rg-eng.html HTML]) * {{cite web |last=Thomson |first=Murray |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnsVXxtsPBk |title=Presentation from CFOB's 20th Anniversary Party |website=YouTube}} * [https://www.pulpitandpolitics.ca/2019/05/peace-activist-murray-thomson-dies-at-96/ Peace activist Murray Thomson dies at 96] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504172810/https://www.pulpitandpolitics.ca/2019/05/peace-activist-murray-thomson-dies-at-96/ |date=2019-05-04 }} *{{cite web|title=Murray Thomson fonds - Search Research Collections|url=http://archives.mcmaster.ca/index.php/murray-thomson-fonds|website=McMaster University Library|publisher=William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections|accessdate=7 November 2019}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Murray}} Category:1922 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Canadian Christian pacifists Category:Canadian Quakers Category:Converts to Quakerism Category:20th-century Quakers Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Peace award winners Category:Canadian expatriates in China
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