James Scott Macdonald (1896[1]-1985[2]) was a Canadian career diplomat. He was born in Goldenville, Nova Scotia. He graduated Queen's University, and served in the First World War from 1915 to 1919.[1] He was married to Caroline Ruth Wilson (1899–1986).[3]

James Scott Macdonald
Canadian Ambassador to Austria
In office
1957–1961
Preceded byGordon Edwin Cox
Succeeded byKlaus Goldschlag
Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia
In office
1951–1956
Preceded byGordon Gale Crean
Succeeded byGeorge Ignatieff
Canadian Ambassador to Brazil
In office
1948–1951
Preceded byEvan Benjamin Rogers
Succeeded byEphraim Herbert Coleman
Canadian High Commissioner to the Dominion of Newfoundland
In office
1944–1948
Preceded byHugh Llewellyn Keenleyside
Succeeded byPaul Augustus Bridle
Personal details
Born1896
Goldenville, Nova Scotia
Died(1985-09-03)3 September 1985
Amherstview, Ontario
Resting placeRiverside Cemetery, Napanee
SpouseCaroline Ruth Wilson
Education
OccupationDiplomat

Career edit

Macdonald worked for the Department of Trade and Commerce from 1926 until 1928 and then was appointed to the Department of External Affairs in 1928, where he served in postings in Paris, Geneva, and Washington. He acted as a technical advisor on trade negotiations with France and Australia and was Secretary of the Canadian delegation at the Imperial Economic Conference of 1932. He was also acting Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs in 1937.[1]

He served as Canadian High Commissioner to Newfoundland from 1944 to 1948, Canadian Ambassador to Brazil from 1948 to 1951, to Yugoslavia from 1951 to 1956, and to Austria from 1957 to 1961.[4]

In the latter role, he helped facilitate the immigration to Canada of Hungarian forestry students from Sopron University who had fled to refugee camps in Austria after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.[5]

Death edit

He died in Amherstview on September 3, 1985.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "J.S. Macdonald new Canadian envoy to Brazil". Evening Citizen. 10 May 1948. p. 3.
  2. ^ a b "Obituaries". The Kingston Whig Standard. 5 September 1985.
  3. ^ "Caroline Ruth MacDonald". The Kingston Whig Standard. 31 January 1986.
  4. ^ "Macdonald, James Scott (Career)". Canadian Heads of Mission Abroad since 1880. Global Affairs Canada. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Hungarian forestry school moving to B.C.". The Windsor Daily Star. 3 December 1956. p. 27.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Canadian High Commissioner to Newfoundland
1944-1948
Succeeded by
Paul Augustus Bridle
Preceded by
Evan Benjamin Rogers
Canadian Ambassador to Brazil
1948-1951
Succeeded by
Ephraim Herbert Coleman
Preceded by
Gordon Gale Crean
Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia
1951-1956
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Gordon Edwin Cox
Canadian Ambassador to Austria
1957-1961
Succeeded by